Queens Park Rangers vs Middlesbrough. Sky Bet Championship.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance14,182.
Friday 19 January 2018 13:14, UK
QPR will check on Alex Baptiste ahead of the visit of Middlesbrough.
The defender missed last weekend's 3-1 win at Burton due to a back injury. Midfielder Jordan Cousins (hamstring) and striker Paul Smyth (thigh) could miss out again. But defender James Perch is fit after almost five months out with a knee injury.
Boro boss Tony Pulis will be looking for a sharper cutting edge after seeing his side squander a series of chances against Fulham last weekend before succumbing to a stoppage-time penalty. Pulis opted to use 12-goal striker Britt Assombalonga only as a substitute, the first time the £15million man had not started a league game since his summer switch from Nottingham Forest.
The former Stoke and West Brom manager named the same XI which had beaten Sunderland 2-0 in the FA Cup a week earlier, and while he was happy with much of what he saw against Fulham, Assombalonga will be pushing for a return.
Pulis has no fresh injury concerns, although midfielder Adam Forshaw is close to sealing a permanent move to Leeds, while youngster Marcus Tavernier has been sent out on loan to MK Dons.
QPR have lost each of their last three league matches against Middlesbrough since a run of four consecutive wins between September 2010 and March 2014.
Middlesbrough have never won back to back away league matches against the Hoops.
Ian Holloway hasn't lost a home league match against Tony Pulis since February 1999, with Gillingham winning 1-0 against Bristol Rovers with a goal from Andy Hessenthaler.
Middlesbrough are on a two-game winning streak on the road in the league after three successive losses - they haven't won three in a row since January 2016 (four consecutive away wins).
Jamie Mackie has scored four Football League goals against Middlesbrough - against no other side has he scored more (also four against Barnsley and Ipswich).
Middlesbrough are the only side in the competition yet to drop points from a leading position this season - winning all 12 games when going ahead.
This is a real test for Middlesbrough. There are few tougher trips in the league for sides than one to Loftus Road, where QPR have seen off plenty of challengers so far this season.
It's been far from the perfect start for Tony Pulis at Boro, with just one win from his three league games, and Ian Holloway will have his Hoops right up for this one. I'm plumping for a draw here.
David Prutton predicts: 1-1 (9/2 with Sky Bet)
