Ipswich manager Roy Keane will hand debuts to goalkeeper Marton Fulop and left-back Mark Kennedy.
Connor Wickham will not feature, as the young striker is recuperating after injuring his ankle in training.
MATCH PREVIEW
Middlesbrough have spent more time in the Premier League than any other club outside it. And they are the pre-season favourites for promotion after making a number of notable signings, including the capture of striker Kris Boyd from Rangers.
There is increased optimism among Boro fans, who were subjected to some horror shows in the first half of last term but have not seen their team lose at home in 2010. Manager Gordon Strachan, who endured some difficult times after taking over, will be expected to deliver in his first full season in charge.
After presiding over Ipswich's worst ever start to a season and the club's lowest finish for four years, Town boss Roy Keane is also under pressure - a year after his team were touted as one of the promotion favourites.
Fourteen matches without a win was a start to the season few people could have predicted for Ipswich after the hype that surrounded Keane's arrival, and he will want them to be fast out of the blocks this time.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• These clubs have met each other 50 times in the league. Ipswich have won 24 of those matches and Boro 15, with 11 drawn.
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• Ipswich's 2-1 victory at Boro in 2004 is their only away win against them in the last two decades.
Middlesbrough
• Cardiff's 2-1 win on Teesside in December was Middlesbrough's last home defeat.
• They are unbeaten in 12 matches at the Riverside Stadium.
• Gordon Strachan's side lost 1-0 eight times last season - more than any other team outside of the bottom three.
Ipswich
• Last season, Ipswich had more shots on target than any other side in the division (373).
• Gareth McAuley made more defensive clearances in the Championship last season than any other player (109).
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport