Rob Edwards told to start "quality" Middlesbrough star v Preston - "We spent big money on him" | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has given his verdict on whether David Strelec should be in the starting lineup against Preston North End this weekend

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

David Strelec could be in line for his debut at Middlesbrough this weekend when the Championship action returns from the international break.

It was reported by The Northern Echo that the forward made the switch from Slovan Bratislava in a deal worth an initial £6.5 million.

The 24-year-old made a strong first impression with any Boro fans who opted to watch his performances for Slovakia since joining the Championship side.

He contributed a goal and an assist for his country in their World Cup qualifying clash against Germany, which they won 2-0 on Thursday.

Middlesbrough encouraged to start David Strelec

When asked about Strelec going straight into Rob Edwards’ starting lineup plans, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day claimed that he should be in line to partner Tommy Conway this weekend.

He is excited by the prospect of the forward being in the side, and is hopeful that he’ll be selected to start in order to add some extra creativity to the team.

“I’d personally like to see him go in from the off,” Day told Football League World.

“We spent big money on him, he seems to be fit, he seems to be ready, he’s a quality player.

“You can see that, scoring goals against Germany, and just the quality of the goal.

“We’ve needed a bit more creativity, we’ve lacked at times in the final third.

“I know we’re unbeaten still, but I’d like to see us do a bit more, and I think Strelec adds that.

“He drops deep, he links up play, and I think he would form a very strong partnership with Tommy Conway, I’m excited to see what they can do.

“I think it’s a very exciting duo for the Championship, and I think Strelec is readymade for the Championship, it’ll be interesting to see how he does.

“I think a two up front partnership Edwards played in the past, he prefers it, so I think it’d make a lot of sense to see him go in straight from the off, really.”

Middlesbrough have made a strong start to the new season, with the Teesside outfit being the only remaining side with a 100 per cent winning record in the division.

Next up for Edwards’ side is a trip to face Preston North End on 13 September in a 12.30pm kick-off, as they look to win a fifth game on the spin to start the campaign.

Rob Edwards may want to ease David Strelec in

Strelec’s performance against Germany is very encouraging for Middlesbrough, but fans may still need to wait a bit before he’s a starter in this team.

He has the potential to be a brilliant addition to Edwards’ side, but he may be eased in to help him settle into life in English football.

That there’s been an international break while he’s signed, it also means he’ll have done very little work with his new teammates before Saturday’s game.

Edwards would be taking a risk by throwing him into the team straight away, and it would be understandable if he erred on the side of caution.