Moves are afoot to see if Boro boss Steve McLaren - whose side visit Wigan in the competition while the Hammers travel to Spurs - will change his mind about allowing Robbie to play.
With Tomas Repka suspended and Ian Pearce doubtful, defensive options are in short supply, and Robbie would love to be able to step out in a claret and blue shirt this week.
"It would be a great game to play in and it is a game I want to play in so hopefully we will be able to put a bit of pressure on Middlesbrough to let me do that," he says.
"I am enjoying getting out playing; I have grown up with Middlesbrough since I have been a young lad, it is my club, the one I have always supported and wanted to play for.
"But things haven't worked out well and it has come to a stage in my career when I want to play football and I am grateful to West Ham for giving me the opportunity to come here.
"I suppose it is like being on trial for a bit; I have got to make the most of it and hopefully I will earn myself a proper move."
He feels that leaving his home town club could be the making of him and he adds:
"Possibly; you couldn't get two more different places than Middlesbrough and London and I will have to mature quickly, I think.
"I see it is a bit of a challenge to settle in and the lads have been great in helping me do that.
"Alan has treated me straight away like the other players which is great.
"Obviously all eyes are on the new player coming in and I felt a few nerves on Saturday with it being on Sky - though I am not normally a player that gets nervous.
"I was relatively pleased with the way it went, touch wood it was okay, and hopefully I can earn that move.
"There are some big games coming up and hopefully we can get some points on the table and I will get better.
"I was feeling a bit tired towards the end and the quality went a little bit as I haven't played a great deal of first team football but I stuck in there; you can play all the reserve games in the world and it doesn't prepare you."
He was not best pleased about the debut booking for a foul on John Robinson, and he says:
"You have to be careful what you say about referees but the game played on even though it was a foul and he could have just let it go.
"It is always disappointing and I am never going to say it was a fair booking - the lad who I did it on went up to the referee to say I never really touched him and was trying to get me off the booking."
But he is not letting that spoil the memory of his first game for West Ham, and he says:
"It helps getting the first game out of the way; I feel a bit more part of it now and it was good to get the clean sheet for back four and the goalkeeper.
"That is what you aim for as a defender before games and that is what we have got.
"Jermain's disallowed 'goal' must have been very close; it was a great finish and we could have nicked it, though they had a couple of good chances which saw David James make some really good saves - so overall a point was probably fair.
"I am not too familiar with the teams in the league at the moment, but Cardiff have a bit of a reputation for doing well on their own patch and it is an intimidating atmosphere with a tight pitch - so all in all it was a decent enough point."