Crystal Palace welcome Middlesbrough to Selhurst Park on Tuesday evening for their first domestic cup tie of the season, with kick-off scheduled for 19:45 BST. The visitors arrive after a demanding start to the campaign, both on and off the pitch.
Middlesbrough sit second in the Championship after five matches under Kim Hellberg, who took charge midway through last season and guided the Teessiders to the play-off final. Their promotion bid ended at Wembley against Hull City, but they have begun the new campaign strongly.
Boro have also already progressed through two rounds of the Carabao Cup. They defeated Wrexham before eliminating League One side Doncaster Rovers, setting up Tuesday’s trip to south London.
The schedule has left Hellberg facing a significant logistical challenge. Following Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Queens Park Rangers, Middlesbrough are due to return by train before travelling back to London on Monday for the Palace fixture. The manager described the sequence of three away trips in six days as an unusually demanding spell.
Despite the travel burden, Hellberg has made clear that Middlesbrough will approach the game with the intention of winning. He also views the tie as a chance to develop the squad and give opportunities to players who have had fewer minutes, adding that those selected will need to make the most of their chance.
That approach could lead to further rotation at Selhurst Park. In-form forward Will Lankshear, who has scored five league goals this season, may begin among the substitutes, as he did against Doncaster before coming off the bench to score. Kyle Joseph or Tommy Conway are possible alternatives if Hellberg changes his attack.
