Nottingham Forest vs Middlesbrough preview: 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 9 December 2019 17:27, UK
Nottingham Forest face Middlesbrough in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday, live on Sky Sports Football Red Button.
Team news
Lewis Grabban can expect to return to the Nottingham Forest starting line-up for Tuesday night's Sky Bet Championship visit of Middlesbrough. Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi dropped Grabban to the bench for Friday's trip to Millwall but, within a minute of coming on just after the hour, scored two goals in a 2-2 draw at the New Den.
Lamouchi will almost certainly opt to return to a back-four against Boro after experimenting with three centre-backs against the Lions. Forest remain without defender Carl Jenkinson (ankle) and midfielder Samba Sow (hamstring), while defender Yuri Ribeiro is closing in on a return from a knee injury.
Boro will be without top goalscorer Britt Assombalonga after he sustained an ankle injury in Saturday's 1-0 win at home to Charlton. Boss Jonathan Woodgate looks set to turn to 19-year-old Stephen Walker in Assombalonga's absence to partner Ashley Fletcher in attack.
Rudy Gestede is to play for the U23s on Monday night as he comes back from a hamstring injury, and may yet be on the bench as cover at Forest if he comes through unscathed. Woodgate at least has midfielders Paddy McNair and Marvin Johnson returning from suspension, but remains without Anfernee Dijksteel, Ryan Shotton, Marcus Browne, Darren Randolph and George Friend through injury.
Recent form
Lewis Grabban's second-half double was enough to spare Forest a second successive defeat as they drew 2-2 with Millwall on Friday, six days after slipping to a 1-0 defeat to Cardiff. They continue to challenge at the top of the table but need to establish a level of consistency.
Things are finally starting to look up for Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate, with just one defeat in the last five league outings. Two games during that run have ended with a win, including the 1-0 victory over Charlton last time out.
Latest highlights
Opta stats
Nottingham Forest have won four of their last five league matches against Middlesbrough (W4 D0 L1), winning both meetings last season.
Middlesbrough have won just two of their last 22 league visits to the City Ground against Nottingham Forest (W2 D8 L12).
No Championship side has scored fewer home goals this season than Nottingham Forest (9). However, only Leeds (4) have shipped fewer in home games than Forest (6).
Middlesbrough are winless in their nine Championship away games this season (D4 L5) - it's their longest winless start on the road in a league campaign since the 2006-07 Premier League (11).
Nottingham Forest have scored a league-high 73% of their Championship goals in the second half of games this season (19/26). They've netted more goals after half-time this season than opponents Middlesbrough have in total (17).
Britt Assombalonga has been directly involved in five of Middlesbrough's last eight league goals (3 goals, 2 assists).
