Ben Doak starts: The predicted Middlesbrough XI to face Preston on Saturday | OneFootball

Boro welcome Preston North End to the Riverside Stadium this weekend, as they look to pick up where they left off after a 2-0 win over Cardiff City.

Middlesbrough are back in Championship action this Saturday, as they welcome Paul Heckingbottom's Preston North End to the Riverside Stadium.

Boro have played out some high-scoring encounters with the Lilywhites in their recent tussles, with the scores from their last four games seeing Preston win 2-1 twice, and Boro winning 4-0 on the other two occasions.

In fact, there hasn't been less than three goals in any of their last six meetings; 0-0 it is then!

Middlesbrough will be looking to pick up where they left off prior to the international break, as they secured an impressive 2-0 away win at Cardiff City.

Meanwhile, Preston have endured a challenging start to their 2024/25 season, with Ryan Lowe replaced by Heckingbottom after an opening day defeat, with North End winning just one of their opening four Championship fixtures.

Football League World predicts how Middlesbrough will lineup for Saturday's affair at the Riverside Stadium.

GK - Seny Dieng

Middlesbrough and Carrick's number one option between the sticks, Seny Dieng will continue to be given the nod in goal this season so long as he's fit and available.

With two clean sheets from the opening four league games, the Senegalese international has been largely solid, despite one sizeable error against Portsmouth.

Boro are going to need Dieng to be at his best this season, as they must look to become as potent in defence as they are in attack should they wish to win promotion.

RB - Luke Ayling

A player who might not have carried on his rich vein of form when it comes to his assist numbers from last season so far in 2024/25, Luke Ayling is still proving his worth to Middlesbrough with his all-round game.

The 33-year-old made a vital goal line block and clearance to prevent Cardiff taking an early second half lead last time out, with Boro going on to win that game by two goals to nil.

With a deadline day acquisition ready to make his mark, Ayling should restore his role at right-back this weekend.

CB - George Edmundson

Signed in the dying hours of transfer deadline day, George Edmundson didn't opt for a move to Teesside to simply make up the numbers.

The Ipswich Town loanee has already made no secret of his desire to win a permanent contract with Middlesbrough, as the 27-year-old looks to spend his prime years playing regular football.

With Rav van den Berg, Darragh Lenihan and Dael Fry all confirmed as being unavailable for Saturday's game, this weekend looks set to be the perfect opportunity to hand the centre-back his Boro debut.

CB - Matt Clarke

Arguably Middlesbrough's best player not just through the early weeks of this season, but dating back to his long-awaited return from injury last term, Matt Clarke has been crucial to Boro's solid start to the campaign.

Top scorer heading into this weekend's match, Clarke's two goals have helped secure precious points, whilst his outstanding displays in defence have undoubtedly saved them too.

The left-footed centre-back is a vital component in Carrick's system, and his early season performances may well have ensured that the rest of Boro's crop of central defenders will be competing to play alongside him as the season progresses.

LB - Neto Borges

Arriving from French side Clermont Foot in the final days of the transfer window, Neto Borges appears to be the remedy to Middlesbrough's left-back ailment.

Lukas Engel put in a fairly unconvincing series of performances in Boro's opening fixtures, compounded by the long-term injury blow to Alex Bangura, and the left side of defence was beginning to look like a real problem position.

But, after the Brazilian went straight into the starting lineup away at Cardiff and put in an impressive display, he looks set to become Carrick's number starting left-back of the future.

CM - Hayden Hackney

When it comes to Championship central midfielders, there aren't too many classier than Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney.

The 22-year-old local lad has been a revelation under Carrick, and has started the 2024/25 season looking incredibly sharp in the centre of Boro's midfield.

Yet to bag a goal or assist so far, he'll be desperate to start getting among the goals - perhaps one of the few aspects of his game where improvement could be made.

CM - Aidan Morris

Middlesbrough's American boy, Aidan Morris' early performances in a Middlesbrough shirt have been mature beyond his age.

At just 22, Morris has shown a remarkable amount of calmness, self-assurance and confidence in midfield, and has seldom been seen giving the ball away.

It's becoming evidently clear why Boro were so desperate to secure his signature this summer, with the prospect of him and Hackney orchestrating Middlesbrough's midfield for years to come being enough to illicit excited shivers throughout the body.

RW - Ben Doak

A player who arrived on deadline day as somewhat of a surprise bonus addition for Middlesbrough, like the aforementioned Edmundson, Ben Doak hasn't made the move to the North East to sit on the bench.

Liverpool simply wouldn't have commissioned a move to Teesside if they didn't receive assurances he'd be getting regular minutes, with as many as six clubs across the Premier League and the Championship all understood to have been interested in signing him.

With Isaiah Jones only just returning to the club after playing 90 minutes vs Suriname and 87 against Martinique for Guyana on Monday, Preston may present the ideal chance to rest his legs, and unleash Doak into the starting lineup.

Whilst Doak was also away on international duty with Scotland, his two appearances came in the shape of short cameos from the bench, and therefore should be totally fresh and ready to go.

LW - Riley McGree

After not being seen since Boro's opening day victory over Swansea City, Carrick has confirmed that Riley McGree is back and in contention to return to the starting lineup this weekend.

With Delano Burgzorg enjoying a mixed bag of performances from the opening handful of games, Carrick may choose to revert to a player he has full trust in to score and provide goals from the left - that's not to say he doesn't trust Burgzorg.

Having the Australian international back in the lineup could allow Burgzorg to become more of an impact player from the bench, a role he may not be thrilled to accept, but one that could see Boro get the best out of him from.

CAM - Finn Azaz

A player that divides opinion among Middlesbrough supporters, and is perhaps slightly misunderstood at times, Finn Azaz is the player who Carrick signed an trusts to be the creative cog in the final third of the pitch.

Two assists from his opening four Championship appearances is a testament to how important he is to Boro's attack, with some smart saves and indecision on his part almost certainly denying him a handful of goals too.

His role as Middlesbrough's number 10 is to find pockets of space behind the opposition's midfield line, get his shots off, and create chances for his teammates, and there haven't been many if any that have been doing that more consistently than Azaz in the Championship so far this season.

ST - Emmanuel Latte Lath

After ensuring that no Middlesbrough supporter would be allowed to curl up comfortably in front of their televisions and enjoy the final hours of transfer deadline day, Emmanuel Latte Lath will be Boro's number nine until January at the very least.

To his credit, as soon as Boro made their stance clear that they would not be accepting Ipswich Town's offer - understood to have been around £20m -, the Ivorian international raced down to Cardiff to make himself available for selection.

With the prolific striker now back among the squad, he should restore his place leading the Boro line this weekend.