Middlesbrough vs Watford team news: Boro looking for their first win in five games in Sunday Premier League clash
MIDDLESBROUGH host Watford at the Riverside in Sunday's lunchtime kick off as Boro look to break their home duck.
Troy Deeney is poised to score his 100th Watford goal and has an impressive record against the Teessiders, scoring six times to date.
Middlesbrough captain Grant Leadbitter continues to be sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a hernia problem shortly before the 2016/17 season got underway.
Walter Mazzarri's Hornets will be without Craig Cathcart who is reportedly suffering with a groin strain and Jerome Sinclair could face a late fitness test.
Middlesbrough squad:
Dimi Konstantopoulos, Fabio Da Silva, George Friend, Daniel Ayala, Bernardo Espinosa, Ben Gibson, Grant Leadbitter, Adam Clayton, Jordan Rhodes, Alvaro Negredo, Viktor Fischer, Brad Guzan, Tomas Mejias, Marten De Roon, Carlos De Pena, Antonio Barragan, Cristhian Stuani, Stewart Downing, Gaston Ramirez, Julien De Sart, Emilio Nsue, Victor Valdes, Adam Forshaw, David Nugent, James Husband, Calum Chambers, Adama Traore
Definitely out:
James Husband, Grant Leadbitter
Watford squad:
Heurelho Gomes, Miguel Britos, Younes Kaboul, Sebastian Prodl, Adrian Mariappa, Nordin Amrabat, Troy Deeney, Valon Behrami, Rene Gilmartin, Craig Cathcart, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Adlene Guedioura, Camilo Zuniga, Daryl Janmaat, Ben Watson, Odion Ighalo, Jose Holebas, Christian Kabasele, Etienne Capoue, Costel Pantilimon, Stefano Okaka, Roberto Pereyra
Definitely out:
Craig Cathcart
Stats:
- Middlesbrough are without a win in their last five league games against Watford, drawing two and losing three.
- Watford have found the back of the net in 15 of their last 16 league clashes with ‘Boro.
- At the Riverside, Middlesbrough have suffered just one defeat in their last five league meetings with the Hornets (W2 D2).
- Troy Deeney has found the back of the net in each of the Hornets' last four meetings with Middlesbrough.
- Overall, Deeney has scored six times against Middlesbrough for Watford – only against Leeds United has he scored as many (also six) for the Hornets.
- Deeney has netted 99 goals in all competitions for Watford. Only Luther Blissett, Tommy Barnett, Ross Jenkins and Cliff Holton have previously reached the century for the club.
- Since the start of last season, none of Watford's 44 Premier League games have seen them start more than two English players.
- Middlesbrough have lost a league-high seven points from leading positions in the Premier League this season.
- Only once before have Middlesbrough had fewer points after their opening seven games of a Premier League season (5pts in 06/07 when they still finished in 12th place).
- Watford have conceded a league-high six headed goals in the top-flight this season, while only Crystal Palace (6) and West Ham (5) have scored more headers than Middlesbrough (4).
- This will be only the fourth time in Premier League history that Watford have played an away match on a Sunday, but they have lost their previous three and failed to score on each occasion (conceding 10 goals).
