Middlesbrough will put their Barclaycard Premiership difficulties behind them tomorrow when they look for a repeat dose of cup heroics.

Steve McClaren's side go into the FA Cup fifth-round clash against fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers with the memory of their stunning victory over Manchester United in the previous round still fresh in their minds.

And while no-one on Teesside is in any doubt that Premiership points rather than cup glory are what matters in the weeks and months ahead, they will need no reminding Boro have not lost since dumping Sir Alex Ferguson's men out of the competition.

Boro are unbeaten in six games since the 2-1 reverse at Fulham on January 12, a fact which has breathed new confidence into a side who nevertheless still sit only two places and three points above the relegation zone.

However - and perhaps significantly - the club who currently occupy the final place in the drop zone head for the Riverside Stadium this weekend.

Graeme Souness' men slipped into the basement battle after last Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Fulham to heap pressure on their shoulders.

They too could do with a morale-boosting cup win to rekindle their league form, but know it will count for nothing if they do not take the momentum into the Premiership.

And Boro are acutely aware just how costly that can be, five years after Bryan Robson guided them to the finals of both domestic cup competitions in a season which saw them plummet back into Division One.

That is a prospect which Boro cannot even contemplate this time around, and striker Noel Whelan is hoping his goals - he now has five in his last 10 games - will help his side to thrive on both fronts.

"Last year I didn't capitalise on my goal ratio in the games I played," he admitted.

"It was about 30-odd, but I ended up coming out with one or two, which I was disappointed with.

"I've always been a nine or 10-goal-a-season man from wherever I've played, and with the start I've had now, it's given me a great boost, which is what I really needed to get my confidence going again after being out for so long.

"For most of the last three years, I've played left wing, which isn't my position, but I still managed to get into double figures.

"People forget that's where I'm playing, and I want to reclaim my place up front and be known for playing up front and scoring on a regular basis like I used to."

McClaren will be forced into a series of reshuffles, with Italian defender Gianluca Festa starting a three-match ban following his red card for spitting at Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips and midfielder Jonathan Greening also suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season.

Loan signing Benito Carbone is cup-tied after playing for Derby in their shock 3-1 home defeat by Bristol Rovers in the third round and there remain injury doubts over striker Szilard Nemeth, who has a thigh problem, and midfielder Phil Stamp, with a rib muscle strain.

Star frontman Alen Boksic will be itching for a return to the starting line-up after coming back from a calf injury as a substitute in the 2-2 draw with Leeds last weekend, while full-back Robbie Stockdale is back in training after resting a tweaked hamstring.