Middlesbrough defender George Friend has insisted that he and his teammates are counting down the days until Championship action resumes following their disappointing defeat to Hull City last time out.

The Smoggies fell to a 3-0 reverse at the KC Stadium to see their impressive recent run come to a crashing halt last weekend.

Despite the setback, which cost Boro a place inside the automatic promotion zone, Friend remains confident that the experience in the squad will help his side to quickly bounce back.

"We're got a lot more experience than last season and we're just disappointed as the scoreline didn't reflect the game," he is quoted as saying by Gazette Live. "We need to spring back from this and I'm sure we will. We can't dwell on it or get down about it, we have to stay positive and have faith in a good squad.

"I think throughout the season we've changed a few of our hoodoo games away at Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday. The build-up to the [Hull] game was because we would've gone above them if we'd beaten them, but it wasn't a make or break game like the Norwich and the playoff final.

"We've got so much energy in this squad, the lads will be raring to go. They won't like having to wait two weeks for a game so they'll be up for games after a break. I hope we can react from it and I'm sure we will."

Boro, sitting four points off top spot, play host to Queens Park Rangers at the Riverside a week on Friday.