Middlesbrough will kick off their pre-season fixtures next week and there are several things to look out for.
After flirting with Championship promotion in the previous two campaigns, Middlesbrough should be eyeing a top-six finish at the very least in 2024/25.
Michael Carrick is once again leading the charge for the Teessiders and welcomed his players back for the start of pre-season on June 24th.
Boro are currently in Portugal for a warm-weather training camp but their pre-season games will all be played in England.
The North East outfit kick off their pre-season schedule on Saturday, July 20th, taking on Bolton Wanderers at Heritage Park.
This is followed by meetings with Gateshead, Doncaster Rovers, Harrogate Town, and SC Heerenveen.
With expectations high on Teesside going into the next campaign, Boro fans are no doubt keen to see how their team fare in their upcoming friendlies.
Here are three things to look out for ahead of Middlesbrough’s pre-season fixtures.
Who will start on the wings for Middlesbrough
To their credit, Carrick and Kieran Scott have done a decent job of plugging most of the holes in Middlesbrough’s squad this summer.
However, the left-wing position remains an area of concern for Boro heading into their meeting with Bolton.
Sam Greenwood left Teesside at the end of his loan from Leeds United in May and Sammy Silvera has joined Portsmouth on loan.
Said duo were Boro’s primary left-wing options last term, meaning Carrick will have a big decision to make on who steps up in the pair’s absence.
Delano Burgzorg recently signed from Mainz 05 and though he played as a centre-forward in 2023/24, has plenty of experience out wide.
Alex Gilbert is also an option but he was used through the middle in the previous season and has limited Championship experience.
Riley McGree can and has played out of position on the flanks for Boro in the past as well. It will be interesting to see which option Carrick goes with in pre-season.
Middlesbrough academy products given chance to impress
As is often the case, pre-season will give a few Middlesbrough academy players a chance to stake a claim for more first-team minutes in 2024/25.
The Reds included Sonny Finch and Law McCabe in their 28-man squad for the trip to Portugal and both players are expected to earn game time in pre-season.
McCabe made his senior debut for Boro at the end of last season and recently signed a new contract with the club.
Should he perform well in the upcoming friendlies, more regular minutes could be on the cards in 2024/25.
Finch, meanwhile, has scored 14 and assisted four in 31 outings for Middlesbrough’s U21 side.
Given Boro are lacking striker depth at present, how Finch performs in pre-season is certainly something to keep an eye on.
Michael Carrick’s main midfield pairing
Another key issue Carrick will need to address in pre-season is who his main midfield pairing will be.
When fit, Jonny Howson and Hayden Hackney were Boro’s best midfield duo but injuries limited the amount of time they were able to play together.
Howson is the club captain and remains a consistent performer at 36, while 2023/24 was a breakout year for Hackney.
However, Middlesbrough signed Aidan Morris for £3.16m recently and Carrick will need to decide how he fits into the eleven.
Morris should already be close to full fitness after playing regularly in the MLS before his transfer but he may need some time to embed into the team.
But if the USA international performs well in the upcoming pre-season games, he could well force his name onto the teamsheet when Boro face Swansea City on August 10th.