Middlesbrough handed double boost for Stoke City - Rob Edwards will be happy | OneFootball

The Boro boss has been handed some big injury boosts ahead of Middlesbrough's top-of-the-table clash with Stoke City on Tuesday night.

Middlesbrough head coach Rob Edwards has confirmed that defensive duo Dael Fry and Callum Brittain are fit and available for selection when they welcome Stoke City to the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday night.

Boro will once again look to defend their unbeaten start to the 2025/26 Championship season when they take on the Potters, who are also among the early-season pacesetters.

The Teessiders were able to show a different side to them against Southampton last weekend, as Edwards' side came back from a goal down to grab a precious away point at St Mary's thanks to a second goal in as many games from Kaly Sene.

Stoke, on the other hand, have seen their form take an alarming dip in recent weeks, after flying out of the blocks with three straight wins to start the campaign.

It's now just one win in their last four league games for Mark Robins' men, with defeats to West Brom and QPR accompanied by a 1-1 draw at home to Norwich City last time out, with a 1-0 win over Birmingham City on 13 September being their last taste of three points.

Rob Edwards reveals big Dael Fry, Callum Brittain injury boost for Stoke City meeting

One of the hallmarks of Middlesbrough's new-look approach under Edwards has been how solid and well-organised they've been in defence.

Indeed, through the opening seven games of the season so far, Boro have conceded just five goals, and look like a group of players that really pride themselves on doing the dirty work and being strong in that area of the pitch.

What's made this improvement even more impressive is the fact that Edwards has been having to contend with some injury problems in the backline, with the likes of Dael Fry, George Edmundson, Darragh Lenihan and Alex Bangura all suffering fresh injury blows this term.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference via Middlesbrough's official YouTube channel, the Boro boss has confirmed that both Fry and Callum Brittain will be available for selection against Stoke on Tuesday evening.

Central defender Fry hasn't been seen since the 1-0 win over Sheffield United on 30 August, and has been dealing with a calf issue, whilst standout right-wing back Brittain had to be withdrawn in the second-half of Boro's draw with Southampton on Saturday after suffering a nasty injury to his foot.

"Britts is okay," Edwards began. "It was a bit of a nasty cut to his foot.

"Dael will be involved in the squad as well. So, we're getting there now."

The Middlesbrough head coach did have some mixed news on the fitness of Riley McGree, with the Australian midfielder not having kicked a competitive ball in anger for Middlesbrough since April.

"Riley has had a couple of good days of training again," Edwards said of the 26-year-old.

"Still a bit too soon for him (to make return vs Stoke), but he trained fully today. I think Darragh (Lenihan) is the only one that's missing now with Riley getting close.

"Riley won't be in the squad yet, but he's training."

Callum Brittain will come straight back into Middlesbrough XI - Dael Fry may have bigger challenge though

Since signing from Blackburn Rovers this summer, Brittain has established himself as one of Middlesbrough's most important players.

Operating as the right wing-back in Edwards' 3-4-2-1 system, the 27-year-old can count himself extremely unlucky not to have already registered a number of direct goal contributions this term, with his attacking qualities combined with his relentless energy to get up and down the flank providing Boro with a highly effective outlet down the right.

With no other natural senior option in that position, and with Boro's former right-back Luke Ayling now starring as the right-sided central defender, Brittain will go straight back into the starting XI for Stoke City.

Fry, on the other hand, may find it much more difficult to reprise his place in the starting XI moving forward, and that's through no fault of his own either.

The Middlesbrough academy graduate and local lad has been in superb form for Boro so far this season, arguably playing some of his best football of his decade-long career in the Middlesbrough first-team.

However, the back three of Alfie Jones, George Edmundson and the aforementioned Ayling have been the chosen starting trio in Boro's last two games, with all three of them not really putting a foot wrong in either of them, and indeed, all season.

Therefore, Edwards may not wish to disrupt this trio given the performances they've been putting in, but in the same respect, it also wouldn't be a controversial nor surprising decision to see him reinstated into the lineup either.