Middlesbrough captain Jonny Howson's Bolton Wanderers warning | OneFootball

Middlesbrough captain Jonny Howson has warned that the Championship club face "a difficult game" away at League One side Bolton Wanderers in the second round of the Carabao Cup this evening.

The 3-2 victory over Huddersfield Town in the first round remains Boro's only win of the season to date as Michael Carrick's team have taken just one point from four games in the league this term despite being billed as one of the pre-season favourites for promotion.

The Teessiders were beaten 4-2 by West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Saturday, with their defensive frailties on show once again, and Carrick will be desperate to see his players provide a response when they travel to the University of Bolton Stadium this evening.

It would be no surprise to see the Boro boss change things up a little and give opportunities to the likes of Isaiah Jones, Dan Barlaser, and Matt Crooks, who will be looking to force their way into his starting XI for Saturday's game against QPR at the Riverside having mostly had to impact games from the bench recently.

But equally, Carrick will know how important a victory could be to build a bit of confidence and momentum before the focus shifts back to the Championship and the pursuit of Premier League promotion.

Jonny Howson's Bolton Wanderers prediction

Bolton may be a League One side but they're not an opponent to take lightly and have promotion aspirations of their own in the third tier, something that Howson has made clear ahead of the game.

Speaking to The Northern Echo, he offered a warning about the Wanderers tie.

He said: "It will be a difficult game, especially away from home. When teams get to the play-offs in any competition there are positives for them. We have to prepare like we would any other game and we'll do that."

Howson is right to warn of the dangers Bolton will pose ahead of tonight's game.

Defensive issues have been central to Boro's poor start to the new season - with Carrick's side conceding 11 times in their first five games - and Ian Evatt's side look well-placed to take advantage of that.

Wanderers have found the net 11 times in five games this term, with strikers Victor Adeboyejo (four goals) and Dion Charles (three) bagging seven times between them already, and will fancy their chances of improving that tally tonight.

Their confidence has been dented slightly by recent results, having lost to Wigan Athletic 4-0 the weekend before last and then drawn 1-1 with Burton Albion on Saturday, but 10 points from five games still represents a strong start to the season for Bolton, who sit third in League One as a result.

Their defence has hardly looked watertight, however, and Boro should be able to create plenty of chances of their own at the UniBol.

Going out of the Carabao Cup in the early rounds is often an acceptable setback for promotion-chasing sides but losing to a League One team would only pile more pressure on Carrick and co. so it feels particularly important that they come away with a win tonight.