Coventry vs Middlesbrough prediction 16.02.2026 | Championship

Coventry have not been in the English top flight for 25 years, but that could change soon. The Sky Blues are second in the Championship, only two points behind league leader Middlesbrough. However, Coventry didn't play well lately, as they collected only one point in the last three matches. In the most recent outing, Frank Lampard's team played 0-0 at home against Oxford United. The hosts deserved much more in that game. They ended with xG of 2.29, while the guests had only 0.11, but the teams still only split the points.

Coventry's manager, Frank Lampard, was frustrated after a draw in the previous league round. He said, "It's a frustrating result, but the lads did everything. There are lots of positives in the performance, though. We dominated every part of it, really, and didn't give anything away other than maybe one counter-attack in the first half. Other than that, it was all us; the ball wasn't going in the net, though."

Oliver Dovin could be the only one unavailable for the game on Monday. Ephron Mason-Clarke is questionable, but he could recover on time, while Frank Onyeka could debut against Middlesbrough after he missed last weekend due to personal reasons.

Middlesbrough are on the course to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017. For most of the season, they were behind Coventry, but in the previous league round, the teams switched positions. Middlesbrough are in excellent form with five wins in a row. In the previous match, they won 2-1 on the road against Sheffield United. The guests didn't dominate, but they did just enough to secure another valuable victory. Now, Middlesbrough will travel to probably the match of the season, and snatching a win in Coventry could put them with almost one foot in the Premier League. 

Middlesbrough have some problems with missing players ahead of the trip to Coventry. They will be without Alex Bangura, George Edmundson, Alfie Jones, and Darragh Lenihan. Also, Leo Castledine is questionable, and his status will be clearer closer to the kickoff.