Aitor Karanka has predicted that his Middlesbrough side will come up against an improved Queens Park Rangers at the Riverside on Friday evening.
The R's have endured a tough start to the campaign, which led to the recent sacking of Chris Ramsey from the Loftus Road dugout.
Neil Warnock has since been placed in charge on an interim basis as the search for a new boss continues, but Karanka believes that Boro can quickly bounce back from their own setback last time out on Humberside.
"It's another good test, especially because they were in the Premier League last season and I'm sure that they're better than how they're playing at the moment," he told the club's official website.
"They have good players and right now they have an experienced manager. They will have had two weeks to work on the pitch and I'm sure it's going to be really difficult.
"But we have also had two weeks to work here with the players so I hope we have a good reaction after our defeat at Hull."
Middlesbrough find themselves 10 points ahead of QPR in the Championship table heading into their Riverside clash.
