Wolves v Middlesbrough: The lowdown on Wolves' opening-day opponents

On paper they couldn't have hand-picked tougher opposition, with big-spending Boro regarded by many as favourites to win promotion this season.

Britt Assombalonga, Ashley Fletcher, Martin Braithwaite, Darren Randolph, Cyrus Christie and Jonny Howson have been added to a squad that was relegated from the Premier League in May.

Garry Monk, who left Leeds at the end of last season, is the man charged with returning Boro to the top flight at the first attempt.

But how are they shaping up ahead of Saturday's big game? We spoke to Middlesbrough Gazette reporter Dominic Shaw to get the full lowdown.

How have Boro looked in pre-season?

DS: They had a couple of games in Portugal against Chesterfield, which they won 2-0, and Oxford which finished 0-0.

They came back and drew at Mansfield after a shocking start, then got beat 2-0 at Rochdale.

However in all those games Monk selected a mix of young and senior players, splitting his squad. Assombalonga and Braithwaite didn't travel to Mansfield, for example.

It was only in Saturday's friendly against German side Augsburg that we got a clue as to how Monk is going to play and which system he'll use.

He'd played 4-2-3-1, his preferred formation at Leeds, for the first few games but against Augsburg he switched to more of a 4-3-3 and they won 2-1.

He went for three narrow midfielders – Howson, Adam Clayton and Marten De Roon – with Braithwaite and Patrick Bamford playing off Assombalonga.

The two full-backs Christie and George Friend bombed on down the flanks, everyone looked comfortable and it did seem to click.

Brathwaite, a £9m signing from Toulouse, looked excellent drifting in behind and Clayton was almost a third centre half with De Roon and Howson in front of him.

Looks like it's been a busy summer in the transfer market?

DS: Yes and they're still not done yet.

Assombalonga, Braithwaite and Fletcher have come in up front.

We’re told Braithwaite could drop deep or play on the flanks but by trade he's a centre forward, as is Assombalonga and Fletcher plus they've got Bamford and Rudy Gestede.

The chairman Steve Gibson said recently they want to bring two or three more in and an attacking midfielder would appear to be a priority.

Stewart Downing has been told he can leave and Gaston Ramirez has plenty of baggage from last season (he lodged a transfer request and was sent off towards the end of the season) and was booed by his own fans on Saturday so he may move on.

They've got an awful lot of central midfielders too, so there's still some work to do.

Its been a very bold summer. Steve Gibson said he wanted to smash the league and go up as champions and he’s backed that up in the transfer market.

Many expected highly-rated centre half Ben Gibson to leave this summer. What's the latest with him?

DS: Unlike when they were last relegated in 2009 Boro haven't needed to sell their best players.

If Harry Maguire went for £17m then the feeling is that Gibson, having been called up by England last season, is worth more in the Michael Keane bracket (Keane moved from Burnley to Everton for £25m).

Gibson is undoubtedly too good for the Championship and you've got the added complication of a World Cup next summer.

A lot of it might depend on what Gareth Southgate's told him. If the message is that he'll still be considered even if he's still in the Championship then Gibson may take that into account.

He's not the type to make things messy and angle for a move. But you'd imagine that if Manchester United, Chelsea or Manchester City came in for him they probably wouldn't stand in his way if they meet the valuation.

Braithwaite and Assombalonga cost £23m between them – how have they looked so far?

DS: Assombalonga looked sharp on Saturday. He’s getting used to the new system but it’s clear he’ll be the man leading the line, regardless of what system Monk plays.

The word from the club is he’s settled in quite quickly. There’s a confidence that he’ll hit the ground running this year

Braithwaite really caught the eye against Augsbury. He was the unknown – £9m for a Danish international who was at Toulouse last year and scored 11 league goals.

It’s not an incredible record but he looked brilliant, buzzing around in behind, he scored one and hit the post

There’s a fair bit of excitement around him.

It sounds like the target is very much automatic promotion?

DS: Yes top two is the target, as Steve Gibson has said.

Even before they even started their summer transfer business they had a good squad and the foundations of the squad that went up two years ago.

You just wondered where the goals were coming from and then they went out and signed three forwards

Goals were an issue last season but the main problem was the fact they didn’t create much and played with the handbrake on.

The signs this year are that’s not going to be the case The only question mark is can they get one more attacking midfielder in.

But you look at the squad and it’s probably the strongest in the league.

Monk impressed in what seemed the impossible job at Leeds last season but will also feel he has a point to prove after they fell away late on to miss out on the play-offs

You've got Howson, Christie and Assombalonga who know the league, plus Clayton, Friend and Gibson. There's plenty of experience there.

Because of the seven years Boro had in the Championship fans realise that very few teams run away with it so there’ll be a patience there, even if they get off to a shaky start

But promotion is very much the aim.

What team would you expect to see line up at Molineux on Saturday?

DS: He may pick the same XI that beat Augsbury. In which case it'll be: Randolph; Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; De Roon, Clayton, Howson; Braithwaite, Assombalonga, Bamford.