Rob Edwards has been stood down as Middlesbrough's head coach for their Championship game against Birmingham City on Saturday, amid strong interest from Premier League side Wolves. The decision follows increased speculation linking Edwards with the vacant managerial position at Molineux.

Middlesbrough rejected an initial approach from Wolves on Thursday, who sought permission to speak with the former Luton Town boss. However, the club has now opted to remove Edwards from his matchday duties due to the heightened scrutiny surrounding his position. Edwards also did not take Boro training on Friday, and a press conference previewing the match against Birmingham was canceled. It is currently unclear who will lead Middlesbrough in the game against Birmingham City.

Edwards replaced Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough in the summer and has guided them to third place in the Championship. However, Boro are currently winless in their last three league games.

Wolves are searching for a new manager after sacking Vitor Pereira last weekend following a poor start to the Premier League season. They currently sit at the bottom of the league. Sky Sports News reported that Edwards was a candidate for the Wolves role after Pereira's sacking on November 2. He is now considered the favorite for the job.

Edwards has a history with Wolves, having made over 100 appearances for the club as a player between 2004 and 2008. He also previously worked as part of the club's coaching staff, including as an Under-18s coach in 2014 and a first-team coach in 2015. He later became head coach of the U23s in 2019 before joining Forest Green Rovers in 2021. Before his appointment at Middlesbrough in July, Edwards also managed Watford and Luton Town, leading the latter to Premier League promotion in the 2022/23 season.