DESPITE their position on the edge of the relegation zone, Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren has insisted his side can still enjoy a "successful season".

Last weekend's 3-0 win over Chelsea underlined the Teessiders' undoubted ability but did little to address a league position that continues to leave a lot to be desired.

Boro remain rooted in the wrong half of the Premiership table but, in the cup competitions, their fortunes have been almost entirely reversed.

While Blackburn put paid to their Carling Cup ambitions at the quarter-final stage, the next four days will see McClaren's men take on Stuttgart in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup and Championship promotion hopefuls Preston in the FA Cup fifth round.

The first of those challenges begins in the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion this evening and, with the glow of Saturday's success refusing to fade, the Boro boss is hoping the forthcoming fortnight sets up a grandstand finish to the campaign.

"There is still scope to turn this into a successful season," said McClaren, who has seen his side keep six consecutive clean sheets in the UEFA Cup. We've played two thirds of the season and we've still got a third to go. My target is to still be in contention for a trophy going into the last ten games, and to have improved our league position so we can finish mid-table.

"That's the position we want to put ourselves in. We're not there yet and there's still a long way to go, but there's still everything to play for and we're confident."

Last season, Boro brushed aside AK Graz at the UEFA Cup's first knockout stage but, while Stuttgart are struggling in their domestic league, the Germans still offer a far sterner test than the Austrian minnows.

Stuttgart have won just two home games all season - a record that recently cost Italian manager Giovanni Trapattoni his job - and slumped to a 2-1 defeat to lowly Armenia Bielefeld last weekend.

But, with former Premiership players such as Jon-Dahl Tomasson (Newcastle), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Aston Villa), Markus Babbel (Liverpool) and Jesper Gronkjaer (Chelsea) in their ranks, McClaren is expecting Stuttgart to provide Boro's toughest European test since last March's defeat to Sporting Lisbon.

"The tournament begins for us now," he said. "This is definitely our most severe test since Lisbon. We finished top of our group and thought to ourselves, 'Phew, we'll get a team who finished third', but this is the toughest one.

"It's exciting that it's a big club, a big stadium and a big team. You're looking at two teams who have great pedigree and are capable of going far in this tournament.

"They are two teams in indifferent form at the moment, but we are confident after the weekend and have come to Germany well prepared. The tie isn't going to be won or lost (tonight) but I expect us to be in a good position going back to the Riverside."

Boro are boosted by the presence of Fabio Rochemback, one of the stars of last weekend's crushing of the champions.

The Brazilian midfielder was ineligible for the first round and group stage of the competition after playing in the preliminary round of the Champions League while on loan at Sporting Lisbon.

He is able to return now, though, and after taking time to adapt to the rigours of the English game, McClaren feels he is finally showing glimpses of what he is capable of.

"I think Fabio suffered earlier on in the season because he was playing in the Premiership but, when it came to Europe, he was being left behind," he said. "Now he's back with us and I'm sure that will help.

"He showed signs of what he could do against Coventry and, against Chelsea, he was the man of the match. He showed what kind of player he is and what he will bring to us in the future.

"His availability is a massive bonus. This game is all about confidence and he will certainly be full of it at the moment."

Rochemback's presence is particularly important given Boro's current lack of midfield resources. Massimo Maccarone became the latest player to succumb to the club's injury curse when he broke his nose in training on Tuesday and the Italian joins an absentee list that already includes Gaizka Mendieta, James Morrison and virus victim Mark Viduka.

With McClaren keen to retain the 4-5-1 system that worked to such great effect on Saturday, Stuart Parnaby is likely to find himself moved to the right of midfield, with Andrew Davies vying with Tony McMahon for the right-back spot.

Likely line-ups:

Stuttgart (4-4-2): Hildebrand; Stranzl, Meira, Delpierre, Magnin; Tiffert, Soldo, Beck, Gronkjaer, Tomasson, Gomez.

Middlesbrough (4-5-1): Schwarzer; Davies, Southgate, Riggott, Pogatetz; Parnaby, Rochemback, Doriva, Boateng, Downing; Yakubu.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.