Coca-Cola Championship
Saturday March 6 2009
Cardiff City v Middlesbrough
Kick-off 3pm

THIS will be the 46th league meeting between the two sides, Boro having won 13 times previous and Cardiff 22, leaving 10 drawn games.

Cardiff have only ever failed to score past Middlesbrough once at home in their 22 league meetings in the Welsh capital.

Injuries and suspensions

Scott McDonald has visited a specialist after continuing to experience problems following a hernia operation, and has subsequently had an injection in the affected area. He will be assessed ahead of the game.

Emanuel Pogatetz was suffering with a knee problem during the QPR game and was not involved as Austria beat Denmark 2-1 on Wednesday night, despite having travelled to Vienna.

Rhys Williams and Chris Riggott have both returned to training cobined with continuing rehab following pelvic and hamstring problems respectively.

Tony McMahon has a stress fracture in his foot and is expected to be out for some time.

Long-term absentees Seb Hines (ankle and medial knee ligament damage) and Matthew Bates (tear of anterior cruciate ligament) both remain on the sidelines.

Cardiff were dealt a double injury blow with the news that Peter Whittingham is missing with a torn groin muscle, while full-back Mark Kennedy is out with a torn calf muscle.

They join an already length injury list, with Joe Ledley (hip), Miguel Comminges (knee), Stephen McPhail (ribs), Kelvin Etuhu (ankle) and captain Mark Hudson (ankle) already on the treatment table.

Guide to the opposition

Cardiff City have competed in the Championship since the 2003/04 season, after promotion courtesy of former Boro striker Andy Campbell's Millennium Stadium play-off winner over Queens Park Rangers.

The Bluebirds moved to their new, £48m Cardiff City Stadium at the start of the season, after spending two months short of 100 years at Ninian Park.

Cardiff finished seventh in the Championship last season, the highest-placed finish since Dave Jones took over from ex-Boro boss Lennie Lawrence in 2005.

One to watch: Jay Bothroyd

Maturity has come with the years for the striker, sold by Arsenal after throwing his shirt at the bench in anger at being substituted against West Ham in the FA Youth Cup back in 2000. The 27-year-old striker is with the seventh club of his career in Cardiff City, a spell that is fast becoming his most successful.

The Islington-born striker has netted nine times this season and is among the highest appearance-makers for Cardiff this season. While his strength and agility can cause opposition defences problems, Bothroyd's height is a further weapon and has proved a thorn in the side of many teams so far this season.

The Form Book

Boro have not picked up a victory at Cardiff since a 4-3 win in 1970. In six meetings in Wales since, Boro have lost on each occasion. The Bluebirds have gone four without a win in all competitions, their most recent home game ending in a 2-0 defeat to Barnsley.

Boro have lost their last two on the road and haven't won in three away from the Riverside. During that run Gordon Strachan's side have only scored the one goal, having conceded four.

Last time out: December 13 2009

Middlesbrough 0 Cardiff City 1

A solitary goal just past the hour mark from Chris Burke was enough to settle this game.

Middlesbrough: Jones; McMahon, Wheater, St Ledger, Pogatetz (Capt), Yeates, R Williams, Osbourne, Johnson (Emnes 68), Kitson (Lita 61), Bent. Unused subs: Coyne (gk); Hoyte, Hines, Arca, L Williams.

Cardiff City: Marshall; McNaughton (Matthews 51), Rae, Hudson (Capt), Quinn, Burke, Gerrard, Ledley, Whittingham (Etuhu 32 (McCormack 81)), Bothroyd, Chopra. Unused subs: Enckelman (gk); Kennedy, Taiwo, Wildig.

Referee: Mr G Hegley, Hertfordshire.

Bookings

Middlesbrough: None

Cardiff City: Gerrard, 36, foul; Quinn, 72, foul.

Attendance: 17,242 (449 Cardiff)

Conditions: Cold, overcast and breezy

Website Boro Man of the Match: Mark Yeates

Referee: Darren Deadman, Cambridgeshire

Mr Deadman, 34 is a civil servant in Peterborough and progressed to the National Referees List via the Isthmian League and Panel Leagues. He played football at semi-professional level but took the referees' exam after injury ended his career.

He has shown 70 yellow and five red cards in his 27 games this season, with three matches remaining cardless.

Weather

A dry, bright, breezy and relatively warm day is forecast with temperatures peaking at six degrees, dropping to zero at night. A 14mph east-north-easterly wind is expected.

Tickets and Travel

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Click here for directions to the Cardiff City Stadium.

Full coverage of the game will be available on Boro World. Right now on Boro World we have exclusive interviews with Colin Cooper, Steve Agnew, Danny Coyne and Jonathan Franks, plus this week's edition of Rockliffe Review.