The January transfer window is under a month away and for Middlesbrough the season so far hasn't exactly gone to plan.

Jonathan Woodgate's side sit in 2oth place in the Championship after picking up just 17 points from their opening 19 fixtures.

It was always set to be a season of consolidation for the Teessiders, but the current flirtation with relegation is alarming to say the least.

Middlesbrough's performance against Leeds United on Saturday was very poor indeed, and while Marcelo Bielsa's side are among the best in the league, Woodgate's side should not be swept aside so easily.

Injuries have certainly played their part on the season and the Boro boss hinted that this means that he will need to enter the market for reinforcements but what positions should he prioritise?

Here we look at three key positions that might need strengthening.

Left wing-back

The injury to George Friend is a huge blow for Middlesbrough.

Boro's captain could be out of action until February meaning that Jonathan Woodgate is particularly short of options on the left side of defence.

Marc Bola doesn't appear ready to hold down a regular place so perhaps a short-term addition could be a good idea.

Winger

It's a position that Middlesbrough have been crying out for since Adama Traore left for Wolves.

The Teessiders have precious little in the way of wide options, meaning that this is probably the most crucial position to strengthen as they look to add creativity to the squad.

Doing so could be costly, but ultimately it's something that is needed to ease the burden on Middlesbrough's attackers.

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Striker

Attacking reinforcements could be high on the agenda for Middlesbrough.

Other than Britt Assombalonga, the Teessiders are missing regular goals from other areas of the pitch meaning that reinforcements could be handy.

If Assombalonga was struck off with a long-term injury, Jonathan Woodgate's side would struggle massively and so signing another option could be a very smart move.