Boro travel to Stoke City on Tuesday in the Sky Bet Championship.
The match will kick-off at 7.45pm as Michael Carrick’s side look to return to winning ways.
Here's the lowdown on the Potters…
The background
Stoke are in their seventh successive season in the Championship, having previously had a 10-year stay in the Premier League.
The Potters sit in 19th, having been beaten 4-2 in their last outing by Norwich City
Their last league game at the the Bet365 Stadium saw them run out 3-1 winners against Swansea City.
The Potters will be looking to finish the season strongly and improve on last season's 17th-placed finish.
The boss
Mark Robins has been in charge since the turn of the new year after being dismissed by Coventry City earlier in the season.
He led Coventry to two promotions, first from League Two and then League One, and almost made it three when the Sky Blues were beaten by Luton Town in the Championship play-off final two seasons ago.
Robins has previously managed Rotherham United, Barnsley, Huddersfield Town and Scunthorpe United.
In his playing days, Robins was a striker who represented sides including Manchester United, Norwich City and Leicester City.
Key players
Wouter Burger is a name to keep an eye out for.
The central midfielder signed for the Potters in August 2023 and his Stoke career got off to a flying start when he scored on his debut against Rotherham United in the Carabao Cup. The Dutch midfielder played a key role in the club’s survival last season, making 41 appearances.
Another player to keep an eye out for is Jun-Ho Bae. The midfielder has made 32 appearances so far this season and bagged a goal in their most recent win against Swansea.
Lewis Baker is another to note. The midfielder has been in fine form in recent weeks, scoring four goals in as many games.
Past meetings
Boro got the better of Stoke earlier in the season, with goals from Ben Doak and Hayden Hackney sealing a 2-0 win at the Riverside.