Coulson and Friend remain sidelined as Middlesbrough face Preston

Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate is still without defensive pair Hayden Coulson and George Friend ahead of Tuesday’s encounter with Preston.

Friend continues to struggle with a thigh injury, whereas Coulson requires several weeks to recover from an operation on a ruptured tendon.

Forward Rudy Gestede has returned to training after injuring his hamstring while representing Benin over the international break, but is unlikely to be fit enough to face the Lilywhites.

Woodgate is expecting a “massive reaction” from his squad as they attempt to bounce back from a heavy 4-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend.

Fifth-placed Preston have no new additions to the injury list, leaving manager Alex Neil with an almost-full complement of players.

Defender Tom Clarke is back in training after recovering from an injury suffered on the opening day of the season against Millwall.

Fellow centre-back Patrick Bauer scored his debut goal during Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Bristol City and is expected to keep his place.

Only Louis Moult is out due to a long-term ACL issue.