Middlesbrough face a difficult test as they welcome Millwall to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Teessiders are currently in a bit of a rut after losing three of their last four fixtures.

That form is a far cry from their early season performances which saw them go on a mammoth 10-match unbeaten run and establish themselves as genuine promotion contenders.

But with results starting to fade away, it's crucial that Middlesbrough look to get themselves back on track against the Lions.

Unfortunately they've been dealt a significant injury blow ahead of the clash.

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Jonny Howson is set to miss the clash with Millwall.

The midfielder hobbled off during Wednesday night's 3-0 defeat against Preston North End with what looked like a hamstring injury

While Warnock was hopeful that the injury wasn't serious, it now seems that he could be out for a number of weeks.

Discussing the injury, the head coach told the club's website: "Jonny will be out for a while.

"We're not sure if its a two-week or a four-week, at his age there is always going to be something shows on a scan, so we’re going to send it for a second opinion.

"He’s had it for a few weeks.

"It’s a blow, but we knew that. He’s one of the major influences on the team. But we have a lot of games coming up and we can’t dwell on it."

Nathan Wood is also set to miss out as he undergoes a period of self-isolation, while Ashley Fletcher, Marcus Browne and Grant Hall also sit out with long-term injuries.

Hall has been ruled out for four months after suffering an injury in training, while Browne and Fletcher miss out with hamstring injuries.

In more positive news Anfernee Dijksteel could return to action against the Lions.

The defender has missed Middlesbrough's last three matches with a muscle injury but has returned to training ahead of the clash with Millwall, meaning that a late decision will be made on whether he's deemed to be fit enough to feature.