Charlton v Middlesbrough
Alan Pardew and Gareth Southgate may be buddies from their days together at Crystal Palace, but there will be no love lost when their two sides meet at the wrong end of the Premiership table on Saturday (3pm).
With the arrival of Alan Pardew and the subsequent mini-revival, at home at least, perhaps it's gone unnoticed just how depleted the Charlton ranks have been for the past couple of matches.
The absence of the likes of Luke Young, Andy Reid, Darren Bent, Hermann Hreidarsson and, briefly in the cup, Scott Carson, have been lost among the renewed sense of hope following encouraging displays against Fulham and Aston Villa.
But even though Arsenal might have beaten any side that turned up at the Emirates on January 2nd, and would have definitely beaten any side with just 10 men, it was impossible not to notice how short of personnel the Addicks were in North London and even more so in Nottingham last weekend.
Though confidence and expectation had grown due to the consecutive good home displays, with the Addicks seeming set to put in another solid performance it wasn't long into the cup clash that it suddenly dawned how many key Addicks figures were missing.
The cup defeat might have seemed like a big backward step and not at all in keeping with the building momentum, but there isn't many sides in the Premiership that can handle losing five of its strongest components.
One positive to draw is that the FA Cup weekend has given Charlton's injured parties an extra week to recover for the resumption of the Premiership this weekend, while the arrivals of China international Zheng Zhi and Ben Thatcher will be a further boost to the cause.
If any personnel deficiencies remain, they are less likely to be exposed at The Valley than they are on the road, with the Addicks set to rely on a combination of a boisterous crowd and home advantage when Middlesbrough come to SE7 on Saturday (3pm).
The opposition
It's a third straight very winnable home clash for the Addicks and with four points from the last six available on home soil, and only one defeat in their last seven league games, there seems every reason for Pardew's men to be welcoming the encounter with Boro with relish.
Though Wigan Athletic's alarming recent slump has made the Latics firmer relegation rivals than Boro, Pardew will still be viewing Saturday's clash as a six-pointer.
The team now under the tutelage of Gareth Southgate, a former Crystal Palace buddy of the Addicks boss, are eight points better off than their London counterparts on 24.
But with only one win in nine prior to last weekend's pressure-relieving victory against Sheffield United, Boro are not in a position to afford slip-ups.
The Riverside Stadium club's away form might not be as chronic as Charlton's, who are now more than a year without a win in 90 minutes on the road, but Boro are also still to pick up a three-point haul away from home this season - their 11 road trips comprising seven defeats and four draws.
It's often been the quality of Boro's individuals responsible for the club's ongoing Premiership safety and once again the 14 goals scored by main strike pairing Mark Viduka and Yakubu have accounted for two thirds of their goals for column this year.
Both men were on target in the Sheffield United win - Boro's sixth of the season - and even if the team ethic still seems to be lacking at the Riverside the individual strength certainly isn't.
Boro will however be sweating on the fitness of influential and under-rated goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who has been struggling with a back injury, but both he and Jonathan Woodgate (knee) are expected to feature.
Head to head
That showed itself as recently as December 23rd when Yakubu and Julio Arca scored the goals to sink a below-par Charlton at the Riverside, but slightly better news for Addicks fans is that that victory was Boro's first in the league since October 2004, and only the third in the Premiership history between the two clubs.
The Addicks have claimed five victories against the Teessiders with five draws - four of those being painful 0-0s.
Likely line-up
The new arrivals once again mean that Pardew's team selection could go a number of ways.
When Zheng arrived at the training ground it was with the reputation of being able to play in a host of positions, though it is likely that Pardew will have whittled that down to a couple after a week's training at Sparrows Lane.
Having previously pondered whether the China captain could quickly adapt to the step up in quality to the Premiership from his previous level in the Far East, Pardew may be closer to involving Zheng than many might expect.
He started his international career at right-back, which makes him an option in that position with the availability of Osei Sankofa seemingly as dependent on court hearings as managerial meetings. If not, Radostin Kishishev could continue after being utilised there at The City Ground.
With Thatcher's signature tied up and Djimi Traore moving on to Portsmouth, it seems sure that the defender will slot in at left-back, while the signs are also good for the return of Hermann Hreidarsson, who would probably come in to partner Talal El Karkouri.
It would be harsh if Kishishev misses out on a return to the midfield after doing a steady deputising job at right-back against Forest, and with apparently no newcomers on the horizon in that department - apart from the possible return of Andy Reid from a hamstring injury - it will once again rest with the likes of Amady Faye, Bryan Hughes, Matt Holland, Darren Ambrose, Dennis Rommedahl and Jerome Thomas.
All seems to be quiet on the striker front as well, meaning that Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Marcus Bent could continue their partnership.
After what happened at Nottingham Forest, you feel Charlton needed an injection of fresh blood.
Right now, they need three points more.
- Boro tickets will be on sale from the Valley commercial centre prior to kick off, priced £20 adults, £15 over 60s and U21s and £10 U18s.
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