FIT-AGAIN striker Lukas Jutkiewicz has revealed Middlesbrough's unbeaten run has given the squad belief promotion from the Championship can be achieved this season.

Boro strengthened their position in the table after Saturday's 4-1 win at Charlton Athletic and Tony Mowbray's men now sit joint-top with Cardiff City after their defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

Only goal difference separates the Teessiders from the top and after a run of six games without defeat confidence is sky high inside the dressing room.

Mowbray's men aren't taking their position for granted, though, and the memory of last season's disappointment is still fresh in the mind.

Given their form at present there is every chance Boro will challenge at the top again and Jutkiewicz revealed the players thoroughly believes they can finish the job this time.

"Being on this run does make us believe we can do it," the striker said.

"We have to keep piling pressure on the teams around us and obviously it will get them looking at our results. Hopefully come the end of the season we'll be in a similar position.

"The clubs we have beaten this week are big clubs and they're three big victories. We've really got to commend all the lads out there who have been giving everything."

Boro will look to make it seven wins on the bounce tomorrow night at Nottingham Forest and Jutkiewicz believes the longer their unbeaten run goes, the stronger their belief will get.

Mowbray welcomed Jutkiewicz and Jonathan Woodgate back from injury on Saturday and the pair's return will give the squad a further boost. The pair missed Tuesday's League Cup win over Sunderland along with Marvin Emnes, Mustapha Carayol and Kevin Thomson, and the former Southampton striker believes their current run highlights just how strong the squad is this season.

He said: "It's important to keep this run going. Last season started well but faded towards the end. We've got a few players coming back over Christmas and hopefully they can add an extra injection in to the side. Getting these results with key players missing just shows how strong we are."

Jutkiewicz has endured a stop-start few months in his first full season on Teesside after undergoing knee surgery in the summer and that was followed by another spell on the sidelines.

With Ishmael Miller, Scott McDonald, Emnes and Jutkiewicz all amongst the goals, Mowbray will have a selection headache when all four are fit.

Saturday's win produced Boro's 15th and 16th different goalscorers this season and the 24-year-old believes sharing the goals around will only benefit the side.

"It shows we've got a really strong squad," he said. "A lot of teams might be over reliant on one striker and if they're out the team struggles. It's great that we've got people that can come in and do just as good, if not better.

"The other strikers are playing fantastically and that's great for the team. It's not just about out me, it's not about any of them as individuals. It's about getting the right blend for the team and throughout the course of the season it's going to take a lot of players to try and get us out of this league.

"It's not going to take 11 so we're all going to have to play our part at some stage. It's about giving the manager as many headaches as possible."