Middlesbrough will go into their FA Cup last-16 tie with Oxford United with the pressure of a relegation fight heating up to boiling point in the back of their minds.

Despite a series of favourable draws and the prospect of being two matches away from a semi-final clash at Wembley, few on Teesside have been overly preoccupied with their cup run despite some early-season antagonism with Match of the Day pundit Mark Lawrenson.

The one-time cup winner was blunt in his dismissal of Boro's chances of a run after their win over Championship side Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the campaign, but fans will now be most hopeful that mid-table League One opposition can help return some of their attacking threats to goalscoring form and return the feel-good factor to the Riverside.

At the moment, it is their bluntness in attack which seems most likely to send them spiralling back down into the Championship despite their hugely impressive defensive form.

Boro are the lowest scorers in the top flight and, despite some improved performances of late, are lacking the sense of optimism provided by managerial changes at relegation rivals Swansea City and Hull City.

Ramirez return spells hope

The absence of Gaston Ramirez has been acutely felt on Teesside and the laboured failure to entice any of Aitor Karanka's transfer targets in attacking midfield over the January transfer window did little to improve the feeling of anxiety around the club.

Ramirez returned in Boro's goalless draw with Everton - a game they could have won late on through Rudy Gestede - and it is he who will be the source of the most intrigue as line-ups are announced this Saturday afternoon.

The Uruguay international is in need of first-team minutes as soon as possible as he is reintroduced to the squad after injury and transfer intrigue, and a positive performance from the 26-year-old would be a huge boon for all associated with the club as he looks to recapture his best form.

Defender Ben Gibson dismissed any reports of a rift between Ramirez and the rest of the squad after his as-yet unexplained transfer request in January, and his creative output could realistically prove the difference between Boro staying up and otherwise.

Traore breakthrough would be huge boost

The Oxford game also provides an excellent chance for breakthrough star Adama Traore to break his Boro duck of goal contributions and kickstart a spell of form of his own.

Traore was on fire against Everton last weekend, taking the game to the in-form Toffees at times single-handedly, but he is yet to register a goal or assist for the club he joined from Aston Villa over the summer.

This is despite his genuinely sensational ability on the ball - having turned 21 only last month, he has registered dribbling stats comparable to those of Eden Hazard and Neymar this season.

Midfielder Adam Clayton has voiced the sentiments of many by suggesting that a first goal could be enough to send Traore on an individual run of his own, and he will have few opportunities better than the FA Cup in which to score it.

Boro's attacking line-up will therefore have to find a balance between the search for goalscoring momentum and Karanka's presumable desire to rest key players ahead of a vital run of league fixtures.

Alvaro Negredo has ploughed a lone furrow with an admirable work rate for much of the season, but would surely benefit equally from a goal or two as he would from a rest.

Gestede and Patrick Bamford, meanwhile, are on the hunt for their first Boro goals since joining in January while Stewart Downing's match-winning performance in the previous round will have him angling for a starting spot.

A change in system?

Two up front would be a major surprise from Karanka but a return to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation would allow him to incorporate a number of those players mentioned while setting a more attacking tone than the compact 4-3-3 used in recent months.

An attacking midfield trio of Ramirez, Downing and Traore would provide Boro with the creativity, experience and dynamite factor which they have for the most part been lacking the season, while also leaving Karanka with options from the bench.

Bamford would be available to come on either up front or wide right, with Gestede proving his worth as an impact sub in his last outing against Everton.

Meanwhile, the powerful long-range shooting of new signing Adlene Guedioura could add a valuable asset to Boro's armoury in midfield.

With the previously excellent form of Adam Forshaw dropping in midfield, Guedioura could replace him as an advanced midfielder ahead of the more impressive pairing of Adam Clayton and Marten de Roon.

While the prospect of cup glory is not at the forefront of anybody's minds on the Riverside terraces, the opportunity to experiment and set a positive tone for the final stretch of the season should not be ignored.

A convincing win would be a shot in the arm for every Boro player involved. With Crystal Palace, Swansea and Sunderland lying in wait in the following five fixtures, that could make the difference between gratifying success and crushing failure.

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About the author
Sam France
Former Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Features Editor at VAVEL UK, part of the VAVEL team 2014-2018.