Coca-Cola Championship
Tuesday March 16 2009
Pride Park
Derby County (18th with 42 points) v Middlesbrough (10th with 48 points)
Kick-off 7.45pm

THIS game will be the 120th league meeting between the two sides, with Boro having the slightly better record of 50 wins while Derby have won on 43 occasions, leaving 26 draws.

Boro travel to Pride Park having not lost at Derby in their last four visits, and having lost only twice there in the last nine games in all competitions.

Injuries and suspensions

Willo Flood's season could be over after he sustained a small tear in his posterior cruciate knee ligament during the game at Cardiff City earlier this month.

Jeremie Aliadiere is expected to be out for around six weeks after breaking his toe at Cardiff 10 days ago.

Emanuel Pogatetz, who is still struggling with a knee problem he picked up against QPR, is unlikely to be fit in time for the game.

Tony McMahon (stress fracture of the foot), Seb Hines (ankle and medial knee ligament damage) and Matthew Bates (torn cruciate ligament) all remain sidelined for Boro.

Derby County are still without Stephen Bywater, who was substituted with a back problem 13 minutes into the game against Reading a week ago.

Bywater's replacement in that game, Saul Deeney, was then sent-off. The Irishman returns for tonight's game after serving his one-match man against Doncaster on Saturday. David Martin, who joined on loan from Liverpool following the goalkeeping crisis, is expected to keep his place in goal.

Guide to the opposition

Derby are noted to have had the worst points haul ever in the Premier League, 11, back in 2007/08.

County haven't hit the ground running in the Championship since their relegation, finishing 18th last season.

Much is thought at Derby of young manager Nigel Clough, with the feeling he could lead County's charge back up the footballing ladder after a stabilising first season at Pride Park.

Derby have an average attendance of 29,188 at Pride Park this season, second only to Newcastle.

One to watch: David Martin

The goalkeeper was signed from Liverpool on an emergency loan after Derby lost goalkeepers Stephen Bywater and Saul Deeney to injury and suspension respectively last week. The 24-year-old has been on loan to four different clubs before County, having joined Liverpool in 2006.

Martin had previously made only four competitive appearances this season and he will be looking to make his mark during his time in the East Midlands.

The Form Book

Boro have lost their last three games on road, all without scoring, with defeats to Blackpool, Nottingham Forest and most recently Cardiff City.

The Rams have won four of their last five at Pride Park in the league, keeping three clean sheets along the way.

Derby have lost three of their last four games, conceding nine goals in the process.

Of Derby's 42 points this season, 31 have been gained at Pride Park. They've won an impressive 10 games at home this season, but only drawn one, leaving seven defeats.

The two most recent matches at Derby at this level have each ended in 1-0 wins for Boro.

Last time out

October 20 2009

Middlesbrough 2 (Johnson 22 (pen), 59) Derby County 0

Two Adam Johnson goals moved Boro to within one point of top spot in what turned out to be Gareth Southgate's last game in charge of the club.

Middlesbrough: Jones; Hoyte, Wheater (Capt), St Ledger, Bennett, O'Neil, Williams, Digard (Yeates 81), A Johnson, Lita, Aliadiere (Emnes 89). Unused subs: Coyne (gk); Pogatetz, Grounds, McMahon, Walker.

Derby County: Bywater; Connolly, Leacock, Moxey, McEveley (Croft 20), Barker, Teale (Mills 77), Savage (Capt), Commons (Dickov 11), Livermore, Hulse. Unused subs: Deeney (gk); Buxton, Hendrie.

Referee: Jonathan Moss

Bookings

Middlesbrough: Williams, 74, foul; Lita, 80, dissent; Wheater, 84, foul.

Derby: Hulse, 76, dissent; Connolly, 83, dissent.

Attendance: 17,459 (359 Derby)

Conditions: Cool and damp with a gentle breeze.

Website Boro Man of the Match: Leroy Lita

Referee: David Phillips, West Sussex.

This is the second Boro game of the season for Mr Phillips, a police officer in Sussex. He was in the middle when Boro and Peterborough shared four goals at London Road in what was Mark Cooper's first home game in charge and one of only six in his brief spell as manager.

In 22 games this season, Mr Phillips has shown 63 yellow and two red cards.

Weather

A cool, dry evening follows a relatively warm, bright day, with temperatures at kick-off time expected to be around three degrees. Expect an 8mph south-westerly wind.

Tickets and Travel

Tickets are available up to noon in the main ticket office at the Riverside and the ticket facility in MFC Retail in Captain Cook Square, and from the Main Ticket Office at Pride Park on the night, but they will cost more from there.

Click here for all your ticket news.

Click here for directions to Pride Park.

Full coverage of the game will be available on Boro World. Right now on Boro World we have exclusive video interviews with Gordon Strachan, David Wheater, Scott McDonald and Barry Robson.