A must win?

Days after playing an entharlling fixture with Sunderland in the Fa Cup, Middlesbrough face their attetion to a league game with Leicester city at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday night.

After dropping out of the top six due to a 4-1 win for Birmingham at Elland Road against Leeds on Tuesday night. Boro will have to go playoff chasing, Leicester City in need of  a result.  With both sides have successfully making it into the draw for the 5th round of the FA Cup following a 2-0 win for Leicester over Swindon but Middlesbrough will have to face a replay with Sunderland after drawing 1-1 at the Stadium of light on Sunday. Leicester will be hopeful they can carry on their from their 2-0 win over Southampton in their last league outing with a win over Middlesbrough however Middlesbrough will be hopeful recent signing, Lukas Jutkiewicz can make an impact and score his first goal for the club after a dismal start to 2012 in the league, after Boro failed to gain any points in the month of January.

It is questionable where the fixture will go in terms of a result, Leicester have been inconsistent beating the likes of Southampton however losing to Barnsley at the king power. Middlesbrough however have fairly poor this calender year and it would have seemed that a Leicester win would be on the cards. But after a sprited perfomance against Premier League, Sunderland on Sunday proved that the Boro were still keen to go places this season.  Last time out it was a 0-0 draw at the Riverside with the game being far from a spectacle.

Wolves v Birmingham

Premier League meets Championship in a Rivalry Fa cup 3rd round game tonight.

League status and league form should go out of the window for this tie as Premier League, Wolves. Take on Championship side, Birmingham. The Midlands derby will be a fierce encounter with the home side Wolves will be keen to win their first game of 2012. Meanwhile, Birmingham will hope the goals will come again after their 6-0 demoltion over Millwall at The Den on Saturday. The fixture that was only a Premier League game last season shall throw up some thrills and spills and may show a real example of the 'Magic of the Fa Cup'.

Mick Mccarthy will rest star striker, Stephen Fletcher for tonight's fixture meaning Slyvan Ebanks-Blake should start up front with Irish forward, Kevin Doyle. Meanwhile Kevin Foley, Dave Edwards and Roger Johnson will all miss out due to injury. Chris Hughton should shuffle his squad following the 6-0 success at Millwall, meaning winger, Wade Elliot will return to the side after being benched at The Den. Defender Pablo Ibanez will also return following a knee injury. 

My Prediction: Wolves 2-0 Birmingham. 

Wrexham v Brighton

Brighton travel to Wales to play high flying conference side, Wrexham in the Fa cup 3rd replay tonight. 

Brighton will be hopeful they can finish off the tie that they failed to win after drawing 1-1 at the Amex Stadium. The Championship side will hope they can continue their unbeaten start to 2012 with a comfortable win over the Conference leaders. Wrexham however will hope to follow on from their 2-1 away success at Tamworth with a cup upset against the south coast club tonight. The tie that has sold out should have good atmosphere at the Racecourse ground, however the away side will be much fancied to take the victory,however  it would be foolish to rule out the Conference leaders.


The home side will be without, Jake Speight who has a hamstring injury, meaning Danny Wright, who has also recovered from a similar hamstring injury will appear. Brighton will also be without some key players with Craig Mackail Smith being out due to a severe eye injury and Will Hoskins after he felt twinges on his knee comeback in the game against Bristol City on Saturday.

My Prediction: Wrexham 1-2 Brighton 

 

Bolton v Macclesfield

Macclesfield head to the Reebok Stadium for the 2nd time this season to take on Bolton in aFa cup 3rd round replay.

Macclesfield, who are currently 15th in League 2 following a 2-1 home defeat to Torquay on Saturday. Will head to the Reebok Stadium for the second time this season after the sides 2-2 draw at Moss Rose meant the game went to a Replay. The two sides met earlier in the season, in a 2nd round Carling Cup tie in which Bolton won 2-1 with Tuncay scoring a winner. The League 2 side will hope to continue the Premier League side's misery with a victory tonight. However Bolton will hope to forget their Premier League nightmare with a comfortable win over the side that sit 64 places behind them in the Football League.

The Premier League side will be without star defender, Gary Cahill who completed has completed his move to Chelsea. Macclesfield however may be without George Donnelly, who suffered a groin injury in the 2-1 defeat.

Leicester City V Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest can take their mind off their disastrous leauge postion with a Fa cup replay with Leicester City tonight.

Forest are struggling of late in the Npower Championship so their Fa Cup replay with fellow Championship side, Leicester City ,will be a welcome distraction  from their precarious league postion. Which see's them currently 22nd and 2 points  from  safety following their 3-0 home defeat to leaders Southampton on Saturday. Meanwhile Leicester City will hope to eradicate any memory of their 2-1 defeat to Barnsley on Saturday with win at the King Power tonight. The tie should offer up a great encounter, with league form going out of the window and the two sides battling till the very end.

Jeff Schlup is a doubt for the home side and the African cup of nations will also prove to be a pain for Nigel Pearson with Sol Bamba and John Pantsil missing from the side to represent their respected nations. Forest however will be without Centre Back, Luke Chambers as he starts his 3 matchs, so Guy Moussi is expected to deputise for Forest. There will also be without, Wes Morgan who has suffered a ankle ligament injury.

Wigan Athletic v Manchester City.

Manchester City will hope to pull 3 points clear as they head to the Dw Stadium to take on Wigan.

Wigan will be hopefull they can have repeat perfomance of their 1-1 draw with Chelsea earlier in the season. However Manchester City will hope to do the expected thing and pull 3 points clear of near rivals Manchester United with a victory. A win would lift Wigan out of the bottom three and they will be hopefull they can repeat the 2-1 success over City of 3 seasons ago.

Manchester City are hoping for the return of skillfull midfielder, David Silva after assitant manager, David Platt said he is expected to recover from his ankle injury. However Mario Balotelli is expected not to start after he limped off against Liverpool in the Carling Cup. On the Wigan side, Winger Albert Crusat has recovered from a back injury while Shaun Maloney is being treated to get back to fitness. But dynamic midfielder,  Mohammed Diame will be missing as he is on African cup of nations duty with Senegal.

Middlesbrough v Burnley

The Clarets will be hoping to become only the second side to take victory at the riverside this season. 

Burnley will be hoping they can reedeem themselves following from their 4-1 cup defeat away to Norwich, meanwhile Middlesbrough will have to up their game for 2012 after performing poorly in both games this calender despite a victory over the shrews last week. Middlesbrough will also miss influential midfielders, Barry Robson and Nicky Bailey who miss out through injury and suspension. The teesside club will be looking to complete the double over the lancashire side following a 2-0 win over them in september.

My Verdict: Middlesbrough 2-1 Burnley