Bolton Wanderers vs Middlesbrough. Sky Bet Championship.
University of Bolton StadiumAttendance12,259.
Watch live on Sky Sports Football Red Button from 7.55pm on Tuesday; Kick-off is at 8pm.
Tuesday 9 April 2019 08:22, UK
Bolton will check on Gary O'Neil ahead of the Sky Bet Championship home clash with Middlesbrough on Tuesday.
Midfielder O'Neil came off in the first half of Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Ipswich at the University of Bolton Stadium due to a stomach bug. It is expected Jack Hobbs (back) and Luke Murphy (calf) will still be unavailable, and Jason Lowe and Yanic Wildschut (both ankle) definitely remain sidelined.
Troubled Wanderers were left eight points adrift of safety in 23rd place following the loss against rock-bottom Ipswich.
It capped a turbulent week for the Trotters, during which their players went on strike over the unpaid wages of non-playing staff, the club survived another High Court winding-up order before a prohibition notice, and an IT failure threatened the postponement of the match.
It remains to be seen whether there will be any involvement on Tuesday for Middlesbrough's George Friend. The defender was unable to continue and substituted just after the half-hour mark in the 3-1 loss at Swansea on Saturday, having sustained what looked to be a problem to his left leg.
Midfielder Lewis Wing is sidelined because of a groin issue. Boro - eighth in the table, four points outside the play-offs - have lost each of their last six matches.
Bolton have lost their last seven league matches against Middlesbrough, in a run stretching back to August 2014.
After going winless in 13 consecutive away league games at Bolton between 1994 and 2014, Middlesbrough have won on each of their three trips since.
Bolton have only led for 430 minutes in Championship matches this season - 112 fewer than any other side.
Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis has never won away from home against Bolton (P7 W0 D2 L5) in a league match - this is his first game there since November 2011 when he was Stoke boss, a 0-5 defeat.
Bolton have lost 11 league matches in 2019 - the joint-most of any Championship club along with QPR.
Middlesbrough striker Britt Assombalonga has scored six goals in four league appearances against Bolton Wanderers.
It seems like all the off-field issues have well and truly caught up with Bolton, as they managed to lose at home on Saturday to Ipswich - the only side in the Championship below them!
This is a big opportunity for Middlesbrough to get back to winning ways after what has been a dreadful run of form. I reckon this one will be a draw, though.
David Prutton predicts: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)
