A win for Neil Warnock's side could see them move to within just three points of sixth place, with just eight matches of the season left to play.
The last time the two sides met, back in September, they played out a 1-1 draw at the Riverside Stadium, in a game that saw Marcus Browne's goal rescue Boro a point late on in the second half.
Speaking ahead of the eagerly-anticipated game, Warnock gave an insight into his transfer plans for the upcoming summer window, and revealed: "Say we’ve got two or three main targets, then I’d like to think we could get one early, even if it’s not our main target for the rest of the summer
“I’d like to think we’d get one in straight away, so we’d know we had somebody sorted and it would take the heat out of things a bit.
“That’ll be what I’m trying to do. With the way the world is, it’s hard to know exactly how the summer will progress, so the last thing I want to do is be scrambling around in August with nothing already sorted.”
Here are today's biggest transfer stories and the latest team news involving Middlesbrough and the rest of the Championship, as the build-up to the upcoming weekend's action continues:
1. Ainsworth fresh favourite for Preston job
Wycombe Wanderers boss Gareth Ainsworth has become the fresh favourite for the Preston North End job, overtaking Nicky Butt. The ex-QPR player is two games away from his 450th match in charge of Wycombe. (SkyBet) Photo: Catherine Ivill
2. Palace keen on Semenyo
Crystal Palace are believed to be front-runners to sign Bristol City ace Antoine Semenyo this summer. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Ashton Gate this year, racking up 43 appearances so far. (Team Talk) Photo: Marc Atkins
3. Celtic close in on Howe
Celtic are believed to have opened a dialogue with ex-Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe over becoming their next manager. The 43-year-old has been out of a job since leaving Cherries at the end of last season. (Sky Sports) Photo: Pool
4. Canaries miss out on defender
Norwich City have missed out on the opportunity to sign Sam Beukema, who has instead opted to join AZ Alkmaar in the summer. The 22-year-old is making the step up from second-tier Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles. (Club website) Photo: George Wood