After a week off for many of the players in the Championship, Aitor Karanka's Middlesbrough side will be looking to continue their winning ways after beating Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 away before the international break.
Goals that day came from Adam Reach, Diego Fabbrini and Cristhian Stuani, the latter of whom has been in fine form since arriving from Espanyol in the summer.
MK Dons' last game before the break saw them slip to a 2-0 defeat at home to Birmingham. Strikes from former Don Stephen Gleeson, as well as Jacques Maghoma saw the Buckinghamshire side drop to 11th after five games.
Team news
The game may hold a debut for Middlesbrough's deadline day signing, Uruguayan winger Carlos De Pena who is yet to feature because of the international break. The pacey winger transferred to the North East from Nacional after winning his native title in Uruguay.
There are no new injuries of note for Karanka but he did confirm that winger Albert Adomah, subject to much transfer speculation over the summer, will be in the running for the game after returning to training.
Karl Robinson,however, is seemingly having a nightmare with injury problems recently with experienced central midfielder Darren Potter has been ruled out following a knee injury in training.
Goalkeeper Cody Cropper has also picked up a knee injury which required surgery whilst on duty with USA U23s which could leave him sidelined for up to six weeks. Other injuries to Dale Jennings and Ben Reeves could leave MK Dons a little light in midfield for the trip to the Riverside.
Head-to-head
This will be the first ever meeting between the two sides.
The managers
Speaking to MK Dons Player, Karl Robinson highlighted his team's inability so far to "capitalise on our dominace" as his main problem. As it is, the men from Milton Keynes have only last twice so far this season and are undefeated on the road. The manager was also keen to express the experience the team was gaining from their first ever season in the Championship: "There have been so many different elements to our game ... but we've also learnt a lot in these first five games".
Aitor Karanka meanwhile stressed that this would be a "tough game", adding a hint of unexpectancy because their opponents were recently promoted: "We have played two games against promoted sides and dropped points to both, so of course it will be a tough game".