“Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick shares candid thoughts on Leeds United ahead of Elland Road visit.”

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick acknowledged Leeds United as “a strong team with talented players” ahead of their challenging visit to Elland Road on Tuesday night.

Middlesbrough remains on an upward trajectory in the Championship and, after a 1-1 draw with Burnley on Friday night, now shifts focus to Leeds United.

Back-to-back away fixtures against promotion-contending teams present a significant challenge for Boro, but they navigated Turf Moor without defeat and might feel slightly unfortunate not to have secured a win.

Dan Barlaser and Delano Burgzorg squandered clear chances to clinch all three points against Burnley, and Michael Carrick will know his team must be more clinical against Leeds, who boast a stronger attacking threat.

While it’s hard to determine which match is tougher, Carrick stressed after Friday’s draw that both games pose their own challenges, emphasizing that his side fully understands the magnitude of the task ahead on Tuesday.

Michael Carrick acknowledges that Elland Road is a challenging venue to visit.

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s game, which will mark another fixture against a promotion-chasing side, Michael Carrick emphasized the scale of the challenge awaiting Middlesbrough at Elland Road.

Speaking to the club’s media team, Carrick said: “It’s another tough place to go. We know what Leeds are about; they’re a strong team with some very good players. We’ll take confidence from Friday’s performance and the form we’re in while continuing to improve.”

Elland Road presents an ideal stage for Boro to prove they can compete with the league’s best. However, with no league win at the venue since 2011, they’ll need to stay grounded and focused to break that streak.

Michael Carrick’s side looks poised to make history at Elland Road.

That unfavorable historical record won’t trouble Michael Carrick too much, as he understands that past results don’t dictate what happens over 90 minutes. However, it still poses a potential psychological hurdle for his team.

Boro have shown some vulnerabilities against the league’s top contenders this season, with their only away win against promotion-chasing teams coming against West Brom.

However, they’re enjoying a strong run of form, having won four of their last six Championship matches, and will bring that momentum into Tuesday night’s crucial showdown.