A regular goalscorer in the Championship during his first spell with Reading, Kitson has struggled to nail a first team place since moving to Stoke City. Eight home league games have yielded just seven goals for Middlesbrough this season and new manager Gordon Strachan has been linked with a number of strikers since taking over from Gareth Southgate. Marlon Harewood was the Forest hero on their last visit to the Riverside Stadium, netting a late equaliser in a Premier League fixture in November 1998.