Middlesbrough's clash with Sunderland has added importance for Boro boss Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick would usually be one to play down the significance of individual games but even he couldn't deny the importance of the Sunday's clash between Middlesbrough and Sunderland - though maybe not for the reason you'd expect.

Around this fixture always comes the 'is it or isn't it?' derby debate. One thing that cannot be denied is that they are two sides within close proximity who absolutely want to best the other to win those bragging rights. That will be no different on Sunday at the Riverside, with Boro currently one-nil up on clashes this season thanks to their 4-0 victory at the Stadium of Light in October.

Boro boss Carrick preferred not to be dragged into the derby debate, and while insisting that the reverse fixture would have no relevance to this latest meeting on Teesside, he didn't play down the significance of the game at this time, with both sides competing for a spot in the Championship top-six.

READ MORE: Middlesbrough looking up as all focus switches to Championship play-off battle

“These games tend to be one-offs," Carrick said. "It's all about what happens, who gets up out of bed early enough and prepares well enough. We won't be looking at the past, it's all about Sunday.

“There's an importance to it, without doubt. It's key in terms of setting us up for the next little bit; setting us up for the next run of games, and it takes the points off them too. Will it tell the whole story of the season? No, but it will definitely give us a boost if we can put the right performance in and get the right result.

“I'm really looking forward to it. I expect a terrific atmosphere. I look back to the support we had at Chelsea, that was incredible. The reaction they gave us at the end after a defeat was pretty special. To bring that atmosphere and level of support and for us to hopefully give them a bit more to shout about is the ideal scenario.”

On paper, it appears to be a clash between two very evenly matched sides who both made the play-offs last season and who both have similar off-field policies in place with regard to their aims of recruitment. Just three points currently divide them in the league table, though Sunderland are one game better off too.

The Wearsiders arrive at the Riverside on the back of a 3-0 victory over Stoke City but have won just two of their last ten away games. All is not quite harmonious, with supporters not fully taking to new boss Michael Beale yet after he replaced Boro legend Tony Mowbray.

Despite that, Carrick expects a very tough game, saying: “We know they have good players, a lot of younger players. They're a hugely talented team. You can see he's come in [Michael Beale] and changed and tweaked a couple of things. I've watched a number of games now, it was a big result for them last week and they played really well. We know what we're up against. It will be a big test."

The game is a noon kick-off on Sunday - a somewhat unique kick-off time that comes even 30 minutes earlier than the standard Saturday televised lunchtime kick-off. Having already mentioned the significance of who gets out of bed and prepares well enough, Carrick was asked if such an early kick-off changed the pre-match plans and rituals much.

He said: “You do have to adapt. We don’t make a major deal out of it, but there are little things you need to adapt. It is very different playing at midday and you have to think about the time to prepare for the game, what time you eat the night before, what you eat, how you sleep, all that sort of stuff.

"There is a bit of a change, but ultimately once you’re there and at the stadium, it’s the same preparation for any other game and the rest is almost irrelevant what time of day it is."