Jonathan Woodgate spent the 2011-12 season as a Stoke player, making 21 appearances in all competitionsFollow live text coverage from 19:30 GMT on Friday
Middlesbrough duo Paddy McNair and Marcus Browne are suspended for the visit of Stoke City on Friday.
Both were sent off in Saturday's loss at Swansea, and Boro's appeal against McNair's dismissal was unsuccessful.
Stoke, who will move out of the bottom three with a win, are likely to be without captain Ryan Shawcross.
The defender returned from a broken leg against Luton on 10 December, but lasted less than 20 minutes before he was forced off with a groin problem.
There is a possibility that Boro striker Britt Assombalonga could return to their squad, after manager Jonathan Woodgate confirmed he has resumed training following an ankle injury.
Match facts
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Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last three home league matches against Stoke (W2 D1) since a 1-0 defeat back in August 1997.
Stoke failed to score in both league meetings with Middlesbrough last season, doing so under two different managers - Gary Rowett in November 2018 (0-0) and Nathan Jones in April 2019 (0-1).
Middlesbrough have won each of their last two home league games and will be looking to win three in a row for the first time since April.
Stoke City have lost four of their last five away league games (W1), failing to score in three of those defeats.
Stoke's Joe Allen has scored three goals in seven league appearances under Michael O'Neill, this after failing to score in 13 games this season under Nathan Jones/Rory Delap.
Middlesbrough forward Britt Assombalonga has scored in just one of his last 10 league games, netting twice at QPR in November. Despite his recent form, Assombalonga has scored twice as many league goals as any other Middlesbrough player this season (6).
Source: bbc.com