Boro again hit by absences

Middlesbrough are on their travels once again following a couple of successive home games when visiting Watford this weekend.

Boro didn't exactly take advantage while playing in front of their own supporters by following up three straight home victories with a defeat and a draw to Midlands rivals Leicester City and Derby County respectively.

Striker Marvin Emnes and midfielder Adam Reach each require late checks ahead of the trip as the visitors are still without a number of individuals.

The experienced Jonathan Woodgate and Merouane Zemmama are both currently hamstring victims, with the latter managing only around fifteen minutes as a substitute in midweek before himself being replaced.

Otherwise, Ishmael Miller (groin) is another absentee while fellow forward Mustapha Carayol received surgery on his knee earlier this week and is set to be out of action for anything up to four months.

The Gambian therefore follows the likes of skipper Rhys Williams (ankle) and striker Curtis Main (knee) in becoming one of the longer-term casualties.

Now adding to list is defender Stuart Parnaby for the next couple of weeks after dislocating his jaw while recently playing for the Under-21 side.

Watford are without on loan Udinese and Italian Under-21 international striker Fernando Forestieri due to a one-game suspension after being sent-off against Charlton Athletic.

However, ex-Sunderland defender Nyron Nosworthy has recovered from a hamstring problem, although former Boro loanee John Eustace (back), Geoffrey Mujangi Bia (groin), Cristian Battocchio (groin), Prince Buaben (hamstring) and Ikechi Anya (groin) remain sidelined.

"They've got a lot of foreign players who we don't know much about mixed with some more familiar names," manager Tony Mowbray told Boro's official website. "It's going to be a tough game for them and for us. We've got to be positive and try to follow up on decent away performances at Blackburn and Preston."

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