Michael Carrick is prepared for another staunch test when his play-off hopefuls take on resurgent Hull City at the MKM Stadium to kick off the New Year.

Boro have drawn their last three games in the Championship but remain sixth in the table, though they have Watford and West Brom breathing heavily down their neck, while City snapped up a second win in three by winning at the Teessiders' play-off rivals Blackburn Rovers on Sunday.

Their only win since beating City 3-1 at the Riverside Stadium on November 30 was the narrow 1-0 win over Millwall on December 14, and Carrick will be hoping to return to winning ways at the MKM Stadium in the late kick-off on New Year's Day.

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“They’re on a good run," Carrick said of the Tigers. "That’s not really a surprise because they’ve got some good players. I think it was probably a matter of time before they turned their results around, so no surprise they’ve managed to. It will be another tough game going down there.”

Carrick, like his Tigers counterpart Ruben Selles, is without a host of players and will be again in East Yorkshire. As many as ten first team members missed the goalless draw with Burnley on Sunday evening, and none of them are expected back against City, including Tommy Conway, a summer target for the Tigers, who pulled his hamstring on Boxing Day.

“Sol [Brynn] will be out for around three months with his shoulder injury," Carrick mused. "Tommy [Conway] will be out for a little bit – it’s probably more weeks than days. That’s not ideal, but it’s something we’ve got to deal with. In terms of other lads that are out, right now, we’re not expecting anyone new back for Hull.”