The Boat is struggling with an ankle injury and Steve McClaren will not want to risk the influential midfielder ahead of the festive program.
A couple of options are available for the Boro boss. He could simply replace the Boat with Doriva or he could move Ray Parlour into the middle and play Szilard Nemeth on the right.
Left back Franck Queudrue is available despite his domestic suspension, so it’s a toss up between Tony McMahon or Michael Reiziger for right back. Personally I would rest the youngster.
Both Ugo Ehiogu and Chris Riggott are unavailable so Colin Cooper will continue at centre half with captain Gareth Southgate.
In a game that we must win to guarantee an easier passage in the next round I cannot see McClaren resting one of his forwards, especially after the disaster in Spain.
Possible Boro line-up:
Schwarzer, Reiziger, Southgate, Cooper, Queudrue, Nemeth, Parlour, Zenden, Downing, Viduka, Hasselbaink.
Partizan arrive just over a week into their winter break, unbeaten in fifteen domestic games and seven UEFA Cup games. They have no festive program to worry about, this is their last game until the end of February when the knock-out stages of the UEFA Cup begin. The league season in Serbia does not start again until March.