Middlesbrough face off against north-east rivals Sunderland this Saturday.
Sat tenth in the Championship after five games, it has been a pretty mixed start to the season for Michael Carrick’s men.
Fresh from a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Preston, Middlesbrough arguably now face their toughest test of the campaign so far, in the shape of Sunderland.
The Wear-Tees derby has conjured some notable games in recent times, with the Boro famously thrashing the Black Cats 4-0 in their last visit to the Stadium of Light.
Regis Le Bris’ side will likely provide a tougher test for Middlesbrough this time around though, having enjoyed an impressive start to the season, winning four of their five opening fixtures.
Sunderland v Middlesbrough kick-off time
Middlesbrough take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, with the game set to kick off at 12:30pm BST.
- Saturday 21st September Championship
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SunderlandSunderland
12:30
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough
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Is Sunderland v Middlesbrough on TV?
Boro supporters will be glad to hear that the game is set to be broadcasted live on SkySports Football, with coverage set to start from 11:00am BST.
SkySports subscribers can live stream the match via Sky Go.
Team news
Middlesbrough’s trip to Wearside may see the long-awaited return of Marcus Forss who was spotted in training ahead of the Sunderland clash. The Finnish forward suffered an injury-hit 2023/24 campaign but could soon return to provide Boro with an attacking boost.
Both Jonny Howson and Rav van den Berg missed the Preston game last week and it is currently unknown whether they may return this weekend.
Sunderland meanwhile have some injury concerns of their own with midfielder Alan Browne a doubt ahead of the game, having recently been spotted wearing a knee brace.
The Black Cats may also be without Dan Ballard after he limped off in last week’s 3-2 defeat to Plymouth.