Last Updated: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:19
Emanuel Pogatetz will miss Boro's game with Hull after being ruled out for three weeks with a knee injury, while Gary O'Neil is banned.
Boro skipper, Pogatetz, suffered the injury during last weekend's 4-1 mauling at Bolton, while O'Neil picked up his tenth booking of the campaign in the same match so serves the first of a two-match suspension when the Tigers visit the Riverside on Saturday.
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will be boosted by the return of central defender Chris Riggott to the squad, while Andrew Taylor will almost certainly remain in the left-back role after replacing Pogatetz at the Reebok Stadium.
O'Neil's midfield spot will probably be taken by Julio Arca, who has overcome the hamstring problem which kept him out of the Bolton game. Winger Adam Johnson could also be fit to return to the squad, but the match comes too soon for midfielder Didier Digard.
Southgate is expecting Hull to come with a mission not to lose the game so has urged his players not to spurn any chances which come their way during the 90 minutes.
He told the Gazette: "If we can be very solid, like we have been at home lately, then it's a starting point. But it's not just about defence. We have to go for goals because we need to win the game.
"We have to keep the door locked, but we need to create chances, and we must make sure we don't waste them."
Southgate added: "I'm sure that Hull will be tight or organised and they'll try to cause us problems from set pieces and from long balls.
It's another game which is similar to those that we encountered against Stoke and Bolton, so we know exactly what is coming. There should be no surprises.
"We have to make sure that we deal with it and then break Hull down at the other end of the pitch.
"We may have to be patient. We have to work hard as a team and we have to concentrate fully throughout the 90 minutes."