Middlesbrough will take on Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday. Villa are enjoying a stellar Premier League campaign as they are second in the standings, three points behind leaders Liverpool. It will be interesting to see if they can replicate that form in the Cup competition as well.
Middlesbrough will be planning a surprise against the Premier League side. They are already in the semi final of the Carabao Cup and will be hoping for a similar Cup run in the FA Cup as well. The last time they beat Villa was in the League Cup back in 2017. Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa kick-off time
| Date: | January 6, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 5.30pm GMT |
| Venue: | Riverside Stadium |
The match will be played at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, with kick-off at 5.30pm GMT for fans in the UK.
How to watch Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa online - TV channels & live streams
The match will be shown live on BBC in the UK. Match highlights will be shown live on the platform after the game and live updates can be found here on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Middlesbrough team news
Several Middlesbrough players will be absent for an extended period due to upcoming international commitments. Goalkeeper Seny Dieng is set to represent Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Australian duo Sam Silvera and Riley McGree are on duty for the Asian Cup.
Darragh Lenihan and Tom Smith, both dealing with Achilles tendon issues, are ruled out for the rest of the season. Lewis O'Brien (ankle), Marcus Forss (thigh), Hayden Hackney (groin), Patrick McNair (back), Matt Crooks, and Emmanuel Latte Lath (hamstring) are currently sidelined due to injuries.
Middlesbrough predicted XI: Glover; Van den Berg, Fry, Clarke, Bangura; Howson, Barlaser; Jones, Rogers, Greenwood; Coburn
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Glover, J. Jones |
| Defenders: | Fry, Clarke, Van den Berg, Bangura, Engel, Coulson, Dijksteel |
| Midfielders: | Barlaser, Howson, Greenwood, I. Jones |
| Forwards: | Coburn, Rogers, Gilbert |
Aston Villa team news
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery continues to face player shortages for the FA Cup third-round match against Middlesbrough.
Pau Torres, Lucas Digne, Youri Tielemans, and Bertrand Traoré are all unavailable for the Riverside trip as they recover from injuries. Goalkeeper Robin Olsen is also sidelined due to injury. This list includes the ongoing absence of Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendía, who have been long-term absentees.
On a positive note, Boubacar Kamara makes a comeback to the squad after serving his three-match suspension.
Aston Villa predicted XI: Martinez; Chambers, Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno; Zaniolo, McGinn, Kamara, Bailey; Duran, Watkins
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Martinez, Marschall |
| Defenders: | Konsa, Carlos, Lenglet, Hause, Moreno, Cash, Chambers |
| Midfielders: | Dendoncker, Ramsey, Luiz, McGinn, Iroegbunam, Zaniolo, Bailey, Diaby, Kamara |
| Forwards: | Watkins, Duran |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Competition | Match |
|---|---|---|
| March 2019 | Championship | Aston Villa 3 - 0 Middlesbrough |
| December 2018 | Championship | Middlesbrough 0 - 3 Aston Villa |
| May 2018 | Championship | Aston Villa 0 - 0 Middlesbrough |
| May 2018 | Championship | Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Aston Villa |
| December 2017 | Championship | Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Aston Villa |