Middlesbrough hopeful Marcus Tavernier and Dael Fry will be fit to face Cardiff

Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder will make late calls on Marcus Tavernier and Dael Fry ahead of the visit of Cardiff in the Sky Bet Championship.

Tavernier was substituted late on in the 1-1 draw at Swansea at the weekend after rolling his ankle but Wilder anticipates the midfielder being available on Wednesday evening.

Wilder is similarly optimistic about Fry, who has missed Boro’s last three games with a calf complaint, while another defender Grant Hall is in contention after a tight hamstring ruled him out of the Swans game.

Midfielder Matt Crooks serves the last game of a three-match ban.

Joe Ralls might have played his last game for Cardiff after Bluebirds boss Steve Morison confirmed the midfielder would miss the final three games of the season because of injury.

Ralls is out of contract in the summer and there is no guarantee of a new deal, but he is set to miss the rest of the 2021/22 campaign owing to a groin problem that led to his withdrawal in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United.

Cody Drameh was also withdrawn at Bramall Lane at half-time and the on-loan Leeds full-back faces a late fitness test to determine his availability.

Uche Ikpeazu is ineligible to face his parent club while fellow forward Isaak Davies is nursing a similar hamstring problem to the one that has ruled out midfielder Sam Bowen for the rest of the campaign.