Middlesbrough could hand a second debut to Ryan Giles at Preston North End on Saturday.

The left-back, who had a brilliant spell at Boro in the 2022-23 season, has returned to Boro on loan from Hull City. Completed on Thursday, he is available for selection at Deepdale.

The big dilemma for Michael Carrick will be whether he throws him straight back in or not. With no other new faces in the squad expected, here is our predicted Boro team.

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GK - Tom Glover - Seny Dieng continues to take his place on the bench after returning from injury with Carrick picking Glover on merit. In fairness to the Australian, he kept his third clean sheet on Tuesday night in what was just his seventh appearance.

DR - Luke Ayling - One big call for Carrick will be whether to risk Luke Ayling again from the start after he returned from a near-two month absence to play the full 90 minutes on Tuesday. His nous proved crucial in that one and, with an extended break before Sunderland a week on Monday, you'd expect the veteran will be able to get through this one fine.

DC - Dael Fry - The Teessider continues his impressive form since returning from a nine-month injury. It's great to see him back and it's clear how much more secure Boro's defence looks when he's in it. Preston usually pepper the box from the wide areas, so he'll be important here.

DC - Rav van den Berg - Another impressive display from the young Dutchman in midweek, this will be another challenge for him at Deepdale. He and Fry protected Boro's box well on Tuesday and they'll need to do so again here.

DL - Ryan Giles - He's back, and he's eligible to go straight back in. So why not? He's fit enough having played plenty in recent weeks, and he knows exactly what's required of him. He may not have connections with his team-mates yet, with this Boro side very different to the one he left in 2023, but that only grows with games. We're predicting he starts.

CM - Aidan Morris - Carrick's call on Morris will be similar to that of Ayling. He's had over two months out and proved in his return just how crucial he is. Carrick won't want to risk him if there is any danger it could cause damage, but hopefully the gap before Sunderland will allow him to continue.

CM - Hayden Hackney - No surprise he produced his best for some time with Morris back in the side. The American allows Hackney the freedom to get more advanced and link with Azaz and Doak, as we saw on Tuesday. It suits his game much more.

RW - Ben Doak - A stunning goal marked the news that he will be staying at the club until the end of the season. It's a huge boost for Boro, with the Liverpool loanee a star player throughout the season.

AM - Finn Azaz - Azaz is finding himself increasingly the focus of opposition attention, given the form he produced in November. It means that he's had limited space to operate in in recent games, reducing his influence. But Hackney's forward forays helped on Tuesday, while even if he's not personally getting much time on the ball, the attention he receives offers others more.

LW - Delano Burgzorg - With Riley McGree still out and Micah Hamilton departing to join Stockport on loan, Burgzorg is almost certain to start again at Preston. He deserves to anyway, to be fair. He can sometimes blow hot and cold, but his dribbling with the ball is a real asset to Boro's attack on the transition.

ST - Emmanuel Latte Lath - There is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding Latte Lath with a little over a week left in the window. If he is to leave Boro, it's highly likely this will be his final game, with Boro surely not selling him after the British deadline, even if the MLS window remains open after. That's yet to be decided, but either way, there's no qualms in playing him here as he continues to perform with no sign of distraction.