Middlesbrough are in FA Cup quarter-final action as they take on Manchester City at the Riverside on Saturday (kick-off 12.15pm).
The Teessiders were expected to be lacking influential left-back George Friend due to aggravating a calf injury.
Spanish centre-back Daniel Ayala is similarly out with a hamstring problem suffered early against Stoke City last weekend, with on loan Arsenal defender Calum Chambers [foot] another current absentee.
Newcomer Adlene Guedioura is ineligible having already featured in the competition for Watford.
“When someone tells me we are in an awful situation, for me, to be in the Premier League, to be in the quarter-finals, is an amazing situation,” Boro head coach Aitor Karanka told BBC Sport. “It’s true that we are in the relegation positions, but it is the first time we have been in that position since the league started.
“For a team like us, we knew that was going to happen. We just have to try to win and show everybody that we are in a really good moment.”
The visitors could have skipper Vincent Kompany returning from a six-week absence but Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus remain sidelined.
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