Boro boss ‘looking forward’ to Charlton challenge

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg stated he is looking forward to the challenge of hosting Charlton after guiding his team to the top of the Championship. The league leaders return to action following an emphatic 5-1 victory against Bolton, which saw striker Will Lankshear score his 11th league goal of the campaign. Charlton visit Middlesbrough having failed to win any of their previous nine league fixtures.

Hellberg confirmed that Slovakian striker David Strelec is back in contention after recovering from injury, having made just one ten-minute appearance this season. However, defender Alfie Jones remains sidelined with an ankle issue and is expected to miss several more weeks of first-team action.