How we expect Middlesbrough to line up when they host Leicester City on Tuesday evening
17:14, 23 Feb 2026Updated 17:15, 23 Feb 2026
Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg thanks the fans at the end of the match(Image: Matt West/Shutterstock)
Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg will be aiming to help his side get back to winning ways against Leicester City on Tuesday evening, after frustrating results in their last two.
The Boro boss made three changes to his side after the defeat to Coventry City last Monday, but the newly-introduced players were unable to influence the win Boro wanted against Oxford United, with a frustrating draw the end result.
Now, with no new players back for the game, Hellberg will be debating whether or not to restore any of the three players he took out of the side for the Oxford game – with his decision making about so many more factors than just reacting to a loss.
Will any of Dael Fry, Jeremy Sarmiento or David Strelec retain their places? Here’s how we predict Boro will line up at the Riverside when Leicester visit.
GK – Sol Brynn – Though Saturday was frustrating for most, it was a milestone for Brynn, who collected his tenth clean sheet of the season. That’s not solely down to him, of course, but it’s still a mark of how well he’s handled his breakthrough year.
DR – Callum Brittain – Brittain was one of Boro’s most successful attacking outlets against Oxford, with Boro finding him regularly as he made his dash to the byline. When there, Boro just need Brittain to find that killer pass.
DC – Dael Fry – We’re backing Fry to stay in the side, having been the one of the three changes against Oxford that worked. That will, however, depend on his capability of playing a second game so soon after Saturday’s. He’s had his injury troubles in recent years, and Hellberg has spoken a lot about managing minutes.
DC – Adilson Malanda – Providing he’s fit, Malanda must be one of the more obvious starters right now. His introduction to English football has been superb, displaying a consistent level that looks more than capable of stepping up to the Premier League.
DL – Matt Targett – While Targett isn’t always the most attacking outlet for Boro, he rarely lets them down. He has the technical ability on the ball to still contribute in possession, but he also offers the balance out of possession, which allows Brittain to be as aggressive as he is in getting forward.
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CM – Aidan Morris – Morris continues to prove influential in Hellberg’s setup, even if he doesn’t always do the things that attract the headlines. He and Hackney work so well together.
CM – Hayden Hackney – There are now 13 games remaining and, injury aside, like Malanda, Hackney will be almost certain to start every single one of them. His quality makes him so important.
RW – Morgan Whittaker – He remains Boro’s top scorer with 11 goals, but it’s now four games without a goal. He was underwhelming again in the Oxford draw. There’s an argument therefore that Sarmiento should keep his place alongside the returning McGree. But given Whittaker’s ability to score, it’s hard to see Hellberg dropping him just yet.
LW – Riley McGree – Rested on Saturday, Hellberg admitted that he’d love to have McGree play 90 minutes every game, but that just isn’t possible. Having rested him on Saturday, expect him to be back in the side against Leicester.
ST – Tommy Conway – The goals still aren’t coming as regularly as he would like, but he remains a valuable player in this Kim Hellberg system – heavily involved in and out of possession throughout.
ST – David Strelec – He didn’t quite have the impact he would have hoped to on Saturday. But Hellberg made the point that the first start after injury is invaluable to getting you back to peak levels, noting how McGree wasn’t at his best against Norwich, but better since because of it. With that in mind, it would be nice to see Strelec get the chance to try and really cement a regular spot.
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