Norwich City manager Philippe Clement has Mo Toure and Anis Ben Slimane back in contention for Saturday's Championship trip to Middlesbrough. The pair were rested for the midweek win over Birmingham City but are now available as the Canaries target a third straight league victory.

Clement confirmed the news at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon. "We brought you all the key lines from his press conference," the manager said, outlining his squad situation ahead of the Teesside test. Jovon Makama also returned from injury to play 20 minutes off the bench against Birmingham, further boosting attacking options.

Injury update

While Toure and Ben Slimane return, the club's longer-term injury picture remains mixed. Gabe Forsyth is working his way back from over 18 months out with a knee injury and featured for the Under-21s last month. Mirko Topic, sidelined since November with an ACL injury, is now doing individual work on the grass.

Lucien Mahovo remains unavailable with an ankle issue and may return after the upcoming international break. The most significant long-term absence is Ali Ahmed, who will miss most of the season after suffering an ACL injury.

The Middlesbrough challenge

Norwich face a tough task against a Middlesbrough side managed by Kim Hellberg. Boro are unbeaten in the last nine meetings between the clubs since November 2020, a run that includes a double over the Canaries last season. Their squad is fully fit, with Jeremy Sarmiento set to return from a leg issue.

Middlesbrough have made several signings this summer, including Radek Vitek, Kyle Joseph, Ashley Phillips, Amario Cozier-Duberry and Will Lankshear. Striker Lankshear has been in fine form, scoring seven goals in eight games across all competitions. They sit on 10 points from their opening five league games, one point and one place above Norwich in the table.

Building momentum

Norwich go into the game on the back of consecutive wins against Sheffield United and Birmingham, part of a mixed start that sees them ninth with nine points from six matches. Their last outing was a dramatic 4-3 defeat at the Riverside Stadium just days ago, a result that leaves them five points behind leaders West Ham.

Clement's side have scored 10 goals but conceded nine this season. With a home game against 21st-placed Bolton Wanderers to come after the international break, securing a positive result at Middlesbrough is important for maintaining momentum.

The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday at the Riverside Stadium.