Hull City manager Marco Silva has admitted that he is expecting a tough test against Middlesbrough on Wednesday evening in a key relegation showdown.

The Tigers have been on the up since Silva took charge, winning four and drawing two of their 10 Premier League matches under his guidance to climb to within touching distance of safety.

City welcome a Boro side sitting five points below them in the table, having played one game more than the Smoggies, but Silva has warned his players that they must be at their absolute best if they are to pick up another valuable victory on home soil.

"I expect Middlesbrough to come here to fight and compete. They are in a similar position to us in the table," he told reporters. "They have good players in their squad and we need to see a good Hull City performance if we want the three points.

"Tomorrow we have a game against one of our direct opponents and we have be at 100% to win this game. The system we play is not the most important thing. Our intensity and performance is the most important factor."

Hull have lost their last two league meetings with Boro, but have never previously gone three in a row without victory.