Watford will be without Andrew Taylor when they take on the Teessiders.
The defender is ineligible for the clash under the terms of his loan deal from Boro so Lee Hodson is set to come in at left-back.
Hornets boss Malky Mackay is unlikely make further changes to his starting line-up after last weekend's 6-1 thrashing of Millwall.
Danny Graham will continue to partner Marvin Sordell up front with the in-form duo having bagged 11 goals between them so far this term.
That means summer signing Troy Deeney will once again be among the substitutes.
Last Saturday's stunning display lifted the Hornets up to fifth in the npower Championship, although they have yet to win at home.
Middlesbrough defender Justin Hoyte is out of the trip to Watford with a hamstring injury.
The former Arsenal full-back is likely to be sidelined for a month by the problem he picked up during the 3-1 victory over Reading last Saturday.
Skipper Gary O'Neil missed the Reading game with a dead leg and continues to be assessed ahead of the trip to Vicarage Road.
Other than that, manager Gordon Strachan will have to do without his usual suspects once again with Joe Bennett (tonsilitis), Matt Kilgallon (back), Kevin Thomson (fractured fibula), Jonathan Franks (herniated disc), Willo Flood (knee) and Rhys Williams (pelvis) still missing.
