Portsmouth are the visitors to the Riverside on Saturday as Boro bid to return to winning ways in the Sky Bet Championship.
It is sure to be a challenging encounter for Michael Carrick's men against a side unbeaten in their last 11 away games in the league.
Here is the lowdown on Pompey...
The background
Portsmouth are back in the Championship after a 12-year absence following last season's League One title win.
John Mousinho's side accrued an impressive 97 points to see off competition from Derby County and Bolton Wanderers, and have adapted well to life back in the second tier.
They began with an entertaining 3-3 draw with Leeds United before a 0-0 draw with Luton Town in their first game at Fratton Park.
Pompey were a Premier League club between 2003 and 2010 and won the FA Cup in 2008, but found themselves in League Two by 2014.
They have since steadily climbed back through the levels to take their place back in the Championship.
The manager
After a playing career which included almost 500 appearances in the Football League, Mousinho stepped into the Fratton Park hotseat in January 2023.
It was his first managerial role, and his first half-season saw him guide Pompey to an eighth-place finish, having been 15th when he arrived.
Mousinho’s efforts in winning the league title and promotion last term earned him the League One Manager of the Season award as he continued his impressive start to management.
Key players
In the absence of last season’s top scorer Colby Bishop, Callum Lang has led the way so far for Pompey. He scored twice in the opening day draw with Leeds, having netted four times in 12 appearances last season after joining from Wigan Athletic midway through the campaign.
Pompey have been active in the transfer market this summer, although one of their main arrivals, Josh Murphy, has yet to make his debut after helping Oxford United to promotion last season.
Experienced midfielder Matt Ritchie is also among the new boys after he rejoined his first club following his departure from Newcastle United, while striker Elias Sørensen hit the ground running, netting at Leeds on his first appearance after signing from Esbjerg.
Sammy Silvera is unavailable under the terms of his loan agreement with Boro, but Pompey do have plenty more reliable campaigners at their disposal, including Marlon Pack, Andre Dozzell, Will Norris and Paddy Lane.
Past meetings
The clubs have not played each other since a March 2012 Championship meeting which Boro won 3-1 at Fratton Park, with Barry Robson, Matthew Bates and Marvin Emnes on the scoresheet.
The previous four fixtures had ended in draws, with Pompey's last victory against us coming in the Premier League in September 2008.