Nigel Pearson has confirmed goalkeeper and captain Dan Bentley will make his first Bristol City start since December 18 following an injury to Max O'Leary.
Bentley lost his place to O'Leary for the home clash against QPR, without a clear decline in his performances, but has had to remain patient, occupying the No2 spot on the bench for the last 10 matches.
The 28-year-old did emerge as a 63rd-minute substitute against Swansea City last Sunday after O'Leary sustained a dead leg which made him unable to continue and will now don the gloves against Middlesbrough on Saturday.
"We know what Dan can do, he's a very experienced goalkeeper and I've said before, we're very lucky to have two goalkeepers with a lot of ability and different qualities, too, so he comes straight back in," Pearson said.
With O'Leary in goal, either by coincidence or design, City have become a more fluid and expansive attacking team, with Pearson's assistant Curtis Fleming noting the 25-year-old's passing range and acumen but there has been a growing concern at the Robins aptitude in dealing with crosses.
During Bentley's absence, City have conceded 23 goals, with 14 a direct result of crosses and/or set-pieces, and the Robins now possess the third-worst defensive record in the Championship.
The hope is therefore that the return of a more physically-dominant and commanding goalkeeper such as Bentley, albeit without the same distribution skills, should aid Pearson's attempts to shore up a porous and uncertain defensive unit.
"Dan's a vastly experienced goalkeeper and they have different characteristics," Pearson added. "I think it's important to recognise players are different, and that goes for goalkeepers too.
"It's really important that Dan is able to slot back into the side and have a calming influence on his teammates and be able to dominate his box. He knows the job that he has to do."
Pearson will be working with a similar squad to the one he took to the Swansea.com Stadium, with teenager Duncan Idehen named among the substitutes that day and midfielder Dylan Khadji also involved in the travelling squad.
The manager hinted at an "interesting" team selection for the visit of promotion-seeking Boro, although wouldn't divulge any specifics, for obvious reasons.
That is likely to come in defence and potentially wing-back, with the City attack purring and his central midfield options reserved to just Alex Scott, Han-Noah Massengo and Joe Williams.
The manager confirmed that Matty James is now pain free and will begin training next week, with a hope the 30-year-old, who has been an automatic pick when fit, can return for the final 10 games of the season - which starts with the trip to Blackburn Rovers on March 12.
James has been out since mid-January due to an issue with his plantar fascia, the ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot, leaving him unable to put any pressure on it, and robbing City of his control, game management and leadership in midfield.
"Matty is pain free and we will start to load him (train) next week," Pearson explained. "With a bit of luck we'll have him for the last 10 games of the season, something like that."
City will continue to be without fellow midfielder Andy King (hamstring surgery) and centre-back Nathan Baker (concussion), while defender Rob Atkinson (calf) and and right-back George Tanner (hamstring) could return at the end of the month.
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