Middlesbrough vs Wigan: Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football Red Button
Watch live on Sky Sports Football Red Button and the Sky Sports app from 7.40pm on Tuesday; Kick-off is at 7.45pm
Monday 19 August 2019 16:57, UK
Middlesbrough face Wigan in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday evening, live on Sky Sports.
Coverage gets underway live on Sky Sports Football Red Button from 7.40pm, while kick-off is at 7.45pm.
Team news
Middlesbrough head coach Jonathan Woodgate has no fresh injury problems for Tuesday night's Sky Bet Championship clash with Wigan. George Friend was substituted late in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Blackburn in his second appearance since returning from an adductor tendon injury which disrupted his pre-season, but he is expected to be available as Woodgate looks for his first win at the fifth attempt.
Fellow defender Dael Fry is due to train with the first-team squad this week following his recovery from a long-standing hamstring problem but is unlikely to be involved against Latics. Hayden Coulson will miss out with a thigh problem, while Rudy Gestede is also unavailable having had an epidural last week in a bid to address a hamstring issue.
Kieffer Moore is likely to lead the line once again for Wigan as they attempt to bounce back from Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Leeds. Moore started in place of the injured Joe Garner and manager Paul Cook has revealed his withdrawal seven minutes from time was designed to ensure he is fit for the trip to the Riverside Stadium.
However, midfielder Joe Williams will sit out through suspension after being sent off for two bookable offences at the weekend. Garner, Josh Windass, Anthony Pilkington and Joe Gelhardt were all missing through injury against Leeds and are expected to be unavailable once again.
Recent form
Four games in and Middlesbrough are yet to record a victory in all competitions. They drew 3-3 in a captivating opener with Luton, before falling to a second home defeat to Brentford in a matter of months. Boro were then left red-faced after a Carabao Cup defeat on penalties to Crewe, before faltering away at Blackburn in an eventual 1-0 defeat.
Paul Cook's men have not only lost their previous three games in succession but, worryingly, failed to score since the opening day. On that occasion, they beat Cardiff 3-2 at the DW Stadium, but have since been put to the sword by Preston, Stoke and, last weekend, Leeds.
Talking point - Boro's teething problems under Woodgate
When Jonathan Woodgate took the reins at Middlesbrough in the summer, there was a feeling a new approach was afoot. This was a Teessider born-and-bred, an experienced defender during his playing days and, more importantly, a fledgling coach keen to banish the conservative Tony Pulis days to the history books. The reality has been a struggle.
Woodgate passionately stated his desire to develop Boro into an attacking side who play on the front foot, but they were caught cold by League One champions Luton in front of the Sky Sports cameras on the Championship curtain-raiser, twice being pegged back in an eventual 3-3 draw. Pulis' defensive style was unpopular among fans at the Riverside, but his successor's start has done little to match it.
Latest highlights
Opta stats
Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last nine league games against Wigan (W4 D5 L0) since losing 0-1 in the Premier League in August 2007.
Wigan have failed to score in each of their last five league visits to the Riverside Stadium against Middlesbrough (W0 D2 L3).
Middlesbrough are yet to win any of their opening four games of the 2019-20 campaign, drawing twice and losing twice; indeed, they last started a new season with a longer wait for a first victory back in 2003-04 under Steve McClaren (sixth game).
Wigan have lost their last three matches in all competitions without scoring a single goal; the Latics last suffered four straight defeats without finding the net back in December 2018.
Lewis Wing has had 32.5% of Middlesbrough's efforts at goal in the Championship this season (13/40).
Wigan have tasted defeat in each of their last five matches in all competitions on a Tuesday.
Prutton's prediction
It hasn't been an easy start to managerial life for Jonathan Woodgate. It is still early days but it will always be Middlesbrough's aim to get promotion from this division at the start of every season.
Wigan were dreadful on the road last campaign and their performance at Preston last weekend suggested that won't change a huge amount this time around. Home win.
David Prutton predicts: 1-0 (11/2 with Sky Bet)
