Boro travel to Preston North End on Saturday in the Sky Bet Championship.
Ahead of the 3pm kick-off at Deepdale, here is the lowdown on PNE...
The background
Preston come into the game unbeaten in their last three games. The Lilywhites sit in 16th position after 28 games.
A solid campaign last time out saw the Lilywhites finish 10th under then-manager Ryan Lowe, having won six of their first seven games.
They won in their last league clash against Watford at Vicarage Road. Two goals from Milutin Osmajic were enough to secure the three points against the Hornets.
The manager
Paul Heckingbottom took charge of the Lilywhites earlier in the season after taking over from Lowe.
A respected figure in the game, his most recent role had seen him lead boyhood club Sheffield United, who he guided to promotion to the Premier League in the 2021/22 season.
His managerial career began with Barnsley, where he earned promotion to the Championship, and he also had relatively short spells in charge of Leeds United and Hibernian.
Since being at the helm his side have been tough to break down, having lost just eight times.
Key players
Sam Greenwood has seven goals and two assists in all competitions since joining Preston on a season-long loan from Leeds United. The forward is no stranger to Boro fans, having spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at the Riverside, scoring five goals in 37 appearances.
Denmark forward Emil Riis Jakobsen has been a regular goal threat this season. He has bagged six times in the league this season including a brace last time out.
Aston Villa loanee Kaine Kesler-Hayden has also been a threat for Preston this season. He has featured 26 times so far while picking up three assists.
Past meetings
It was honours even between the sides earlier in the season. Tommy Conway scored our only goal of the game in a 1-1 draw.
We were unbeaten against PNE between 1987 and 2019 - a run which spanned 13 fixtures - but Preston have won three of the last six.