Middlesbrough news: Neil Warnock makes admission plus Nottingham Forest defender surprised by Djed Spence arrival

The hosts meanwhile are in a bleak run of form themselves with former Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton coming under increasing pressure with his winless Forest side sitting at the bottom of the league table with just one point from their opening six games of the season.

Here are some of the talking points you might have missed ahead of tonight’s game:

Forest defender on Spence arrival

Heading into the game Forest defender Joe Worrall gave his views on the clash with Boro including how surprised he was at loanee Djed Spence being allowed to leave the Riverside Stadium.

“Djed is a great player. It’s a strange one that Boro have let him come to us because I think he’s a fantastic player and he’s a nice lad as well and someone who’ll give us an option down that right hand side,” Worrall told BBC Nottingham.

“You cannot let the optimism fizzle out after six games,” he added on Forest’s search for a first win of the season.

“You’re never out of this league. We’re under no illusions where we are in the league, how we’re playing and the goals we’re conceding.

“It’s not like we’ve been absolutely smashed in any of the games. We’re not that far away. Everyone is fairly optimistic.”

Warnock admits Boro are behind target

The Boro boss will be hoping to turnaround his side’s fortunes this evening with club sitting 18th in the Championship table.

The Teessiders’ early season form has been anything but like the play-off challenging form they had hoped for heading into the season and Warnock conceded they are behind where they would like to be just six weeks into the campaign.

“[It’s] no good lying and saying we’re not behind target,” he told the Northern Echo.

“I’m disappointed we’ve not won at least four games really.

“That’s life. You don’t get everything you deserve. I don’t think we’ve had much luck either. I still think you need a bit of luck here and there.

“When I see certain teams who are higher up the table who I know aren’t anywhere near as good as us, it disappoints me even more.”

Forest game harder after Bluebirds defeat

Following Sunday’s 2-1 reverse at home to Cardiff City, Boro boss Warnock believes the task of gaining three points from the City Ground is now even more difficult than it might have been.

Forest took the lead in Sunday’s game against Cardiff through former Sunderland striker Lewis Grabban before two Rubin Colwill goals extended their winless start to the campaign to six matches.

And Warnock admitted he was hoping Hughton’s side would get a result.

“I think it’s made it harder for us,” he conceded.

“I’ve got to say I was hoping they would get some sort of result on Sunday. It is what it is, I think at times they could have won the game.”

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