Preston midfielder Paul Coutts is expected to play after a hamstring injury, while defender Billy Jones should recover in time from illness.
Youl Mawene is a doubt, having missed the last two games with a groin injury.
MATCH PREVIEW
These two clubs were permanent fixtures in the top six earlier in the season, but since they last met in October they have both experienced turbulent campaigns and a change of manager.
Middlesbrough continue to believe they can return to their early-season heights, but their play-off hopes have realistically been all-but extinguished by a run of three consecutive draws. They let slip a lead for the third game running in Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Reading.
Preston have enjoyed relative stability since Darren Ferguson arrived as manager in January, and a rare away victory would take them a point above Boro with seven games to play.
The game will see the return to the Riverside of defender Sean St Ledger, who played 15 matches on loan for Middlesbrough earlier this season but rejected a £4m move in January after failing to settle in the North East.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Middlesbrough are unbeaten against Preston in their last five league meetings (W3, D2).
• This is Preston's first visit to the Riverside. Their 1-0 success in 1971 is their only league victory on Teesside in 11 attempts spanning 49 years.
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Middlesbrough
• Boro have only won one of their last seven matches, drawing the last three. It is nine years since they drew four consecutive league games.
• They are unbeaten in their last eight home matches (W4, D4).
• Gordon Strachan's side have lost only three of the last 13 matches.
• Julio Arca could make his 250th English league appearance.
• Leroy Lita is awaiting his 150th career league start.
Preston
• Preston's defeat at West Brom on Saturday was their first in six games.
• Darren Fergson's side are without victory in five away games, having picked up only one point (at Plymouth) since beating Peterborough in January.
• North End have the worst second-half record in the Championship. They have outscored their opponents after the break in only eight of their 38 games.
• Billy Jones could participate on the eve of his 23rd birthday.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Preston 2-2 Middlesbrough (24 October 2009)
Preston scorers: Parry 61, Jones 90.
Boro scorers: O'Neil 43, Johnson 67.
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport