Middlesbrough face Swansea City in the Championship on Saturday.
Middlesbrough play their second game in four days at the Riverside against Swansea City this Saturday, in an all-important tie for Tony Pulis’s side.
The Boro beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 in midweek, but Pulis might be keen to once again rotate to a more defensive side, with Graham Potter’s men one of the more threatening teams in the Championship.
A win for the Teessiders would be huge for their promotion aspirations and could see Middlesbrough leapfrog Leeds United if results go their way.
Pulis will likely keep George Saville in his side, especially after the Northern Irishman impressed in his first start since his move from Millwall.
Middlesbrough’s defence will likely feature the same players as midweek but, with better opposition arriving at the Riverside, the impressive Dael Fry could return to make it three central defenders.
Both Jordan Hugill and Stewart Downing struggled in patches against Wanderers and, despite being hard workers in the side, the prolific Britt Assombalonga will no doubt return to the starting XI in the wake of his late goal last time out.
Pulis’s tactics against tougher opposition often turn to defence but, regardless of performance, a win for Boro is vital in this match.
Below is how we predict Tony Pulis will line-up his Middlesbrough team against Swansea, with two changes to their last match against Bolton:
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