- Middlesbrough are fifth in the Championship
- Cardiff are 23rd in the standings, one point from safety
- Recommended bet: Double chance, draw or Cardiff

Cardiff will be looking to move out of the Championship relegation zone when they head to the Riverside to face promotion-chasing Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The Bluebirds sit 23rd in the standings heading into this weekend's fixtures, kept off the bottom by only Plymouth, but Omer Riza's side are just one point from safety.

Boro occupy fifth position, nine points adrift of second-placed Burnley and Michael Carrick's troops know they cannot afford many more mistakes if they want to return to the Premier League automatically.

Team news

Middlesbrough are still missing a number of first-team players, with Solomon Brynn ruled out after dislocating his shoulder on Boxing Day and Seny Dieng absent because of a muscle issue.

Darragh Leinhan, Luke Ayling, George Edmundson, Aidan Morris, Thomas Smith, Alex Bangura and Jonny Howson are all set to remain sidelined, while Tommy Conway is closing in on a return but this match may come too soon for him.

Cardiff are missing Aaron Ramsey, who has been out of action with a muscle injury, while Isaak Davies, Ryotaro Tsunoda, David Turnbull and Michael Reindorf are all sidelined.

Callum Robinson begins his suspension after being sent off in the 1-1 draw against Coventry last time out.

The stats

Middlesbrough are on a five-game unbeaten streak, winning two and drawing three times.

Carrick's side have the joint-fifth best home record in the Championship, collecting 18 points from 12 matches.

Boro have drawn their last two fixtures at the Riverside, registering a 3-3 against Sheffield Wednesday after being 3-0 ahead before then playing out a 0-0 stalemate with Burnley.

After going nine games without a win, Cardiff have picked up four points from their last two fixtures, beating Watford 2-1 on the road before drawing 1-1 at home to Coventry.

The Bluebirds have lost just one of their last five away assignments.

Prediction

While Middlesbrough have not lost in their last five outings, it has not been plain sailing during this period and they required a last-gasp winner to beat relegation-threatened Hull last time out.

Boro also gave away a 3-0 half-time lead on Boxing Day to draw 3-3 at home to Sheffield Wednesday, that result coming after the same scoreline was recorded against Plymouth five days earlier.

Carrick's side have been hard to predict and they may find life tough against visitors Cardiff, who secured a solid 2-1 victory at Watford in their last away trip.

The Bluebirds have also picked up points at the Owls, Coventry and Stoke on their travels over the past month and they look capable of getting a positive result from this trip to the Riverside.

Back draw or Cardiff at 6/5 with LiveScore Bet

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