MIDDLESBROUGH play their opening game of the new Championship season when they take on West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Here are the details of the game – and how you can watch it…


WHERE IS THE GAME TAKING PLACE?

Boro’s opening match of the new season is a home game that will be staged at the Riverside.

Remarkably, it is the first time in seven seasons that Boro have kicked off the campaign at home – the last time is happened was in the Premier League in 2016 when a goal from Alvaro Negredo secured a 1-1 draw with Stoke City.


WHAT TIME IS KICK-OFF?

Saturday’s game has been moved from the traditional mid-afternoon slot, and will instead kick off at 5.30pm.


ARE TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE?

Tickets for Saturday’s game are still available, and can be bought from the ticketing section of Middlesbrough’s official website.

Adult tickets for the game start from £30, with Over-65s from £22 and Under-18s from £18.

Most of the South Stand is now sold out, along with a big chunk of the East Stand, but there is still reasonably availability in the North and West Stands.


IS THE GAME BEING TELEVISED OR STREAMED LIVE?

Saturday’s game has been selected for live coverage, which means it will be screened on Sky Sports.

Coverage starts at 5pm, and the match is being screened on Sky Sports Main Event as well as Sky Sports Football.

There is no live streaming available via Middlesbrough’s official website, although supporters can purchase an audio match pass for £3.

Matty Jones will be at the game for The Northern Echo, and will be providing a live blog as well as a report, ratings and post-match reaction on The Northern Echo website.


WHAT MIGHT MIDDLESBROUGH’S SIDE BE?

Chris Wilder’s main selection decision revolves around whether to throw new attacking signing Marcus Forss straight into the starting XI.

Forss completed a permanent move from Brentford on Thursday, but was not involved in any of Boro’s pre-season programme. As a result, he might well be on the bench, with either Duncan Watmore or Josh Coburn getting the nod to start in attack.

Paddy McNair is suspended following his dismissal at Preston on the final day of last season, so Boro’s back three is likely to be formed of Anfernee Dijksteel, Darragh Lenihan and Dael Fry.

While Marcus Tavernier’s anticipated move to Bournemouth has not yet been completed, the midfielder is not expected to be involved against West Brom.


HOW ARE WEST BROM SHAPING UP?

Like Middlesbrough, Steve Bruce’s Baggies are expected to be one of the sides challenging for promotion come the end of the season.

They finished tenth in the Championship table last season, three points behind Boro, although like the Teessiders, their summer rebuild remains an ongoing process.

They have completed three summer signings so far, bringing in Jayson Molumby from Brighton, Jed Wallace from Millwall and John Swift from Reading. The two most notable players to leave the club this summer were goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who moved to Crystal Palace, and former Newcastle striker Andy Carroll, who was released.

Karlan Grant is expected to lead the West Brom line, despite Daryl Dike netting as a substitute in the Baggies’ final warm-up game against Hertha Berlin.