Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill made six changes from the victorious Carling Cup semi-final line-up for the home FA Cup fourth-round tie with Brighton.

MANCHESTER CITY defender Dedryck Boyata received the perfect compensation for missing a family Christmas when he was handed his senior debut at Middlesbrough.

Barnsley 2 Middlesbrough 1

Arsene Wenger is expected to again give his Arsenal youngsters and fringe players a chance to impress in the Carling Cup clash against West Brom tomorrow night.

Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing faces months on the sidelines as his home-town club attempt to stage an unlikely escape from relegation.

GARETH SOUTHGATE was putting on a brave face in the wake of another harrowing afternoon at the Riverside, but the inner turmoil he was suffering spoke volumes for a plight that has now grown so extreme that even his own supporters have turned against him.

David Wheater will be back for Middlesbrough’s must-win meeting with Aston Villa tomorrow.

Newcastle United 3 Middlesbrough 1

Newcastle manager Alan Shearer restored Michael Owen to the starting line-up for tonight’s must-win derby clash with Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough defender Andrew Taylor returns to the squad for Monday night’s derby showdown with Newcastle after recovering from injury.

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson rang the changes as he attempted to move a step closer to the Premier League title.

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate will check on a series of minor knocks before naming his side to face Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United tomorrow.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will welcome midfielder Gary O'Neil back from suspension for Sunday's Barclays Premier League trip to Arsenal.

MIDDLESBROUGH have reached the stage where only miracles can save them.

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Brad Jones will face Fulham tomorrow despite dislocating his finger last week.

A quick straw poll of footballing opinion would doubtless reveal split opinions of Marlon King: those that dislike him and those that dislike him even more.

Middlesbrough skipper Emanuel Pogatetz has been ruled out for three weeks with a knee injury and will miss tomorrow’s Premier League match at home to Hull.

MIDDLESBROUGH are reaching the point of no return.

A frenzied relegation battle is no place for a purist, which is one of the reasons why Middlesbrough’s band of travelling supporters left this ground with faces longer than the Tees on Saturday.

Middlesbrough will be without suspended midfielder Matthew Bates for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League trip to Stoke.

Middlesbrough defender Justin Hoyte is doubtful for tomorrow’s crucial Barclays Premier League clash against Portsmouth at the Riverside Stadium.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has few new injury problems ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final trip to Everton.

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has named an unchanged squad for tomorrow night’s Barclays Premier League clash at Tottenham Hotspur.

Gareth Southgate has Marlon King available as the Middlesbrough manager bids to end a run of 14 Barclays Premier League games without a win against Liverpool tomorrow.

STEWART DOWNING turned in an inspired display as Middlesbrough shook off their relegation fears to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals for the fourth successive year.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will be without midfielder Didier Digard for tomorrow night’s FA Cup fifth round replay with West Ham.

IT is still too early for frantic supporters to adopt the chewed-fingernail pose so beloved by macabre television companies, but already Middlesbrough is a club racked by fear.

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has revealed he has the chance to field an unchanged side for what would be only the second time this season for tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Wigan at the Riverside.

Middlesbrough are without striker Marlon King and defender Chris Riggott for tomorrow’s trip to West Ham in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

THERE must be a sadomasochistic streak buried deep within Shay Given. Having finally extricated himself from the Newcastle United madhouse, booking into the loony bin that is Manchester City seems akin to a particularly extreme form of self-flagellation.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is boosted by the return of midfielders Didier Digard and Gary O’Neil for tomorrow’s Premier League trip to Manchester City.

GARETH SOUTHGATE insists he is ready to become the fall guy for Middlesbrough’s faltering season if it helps protect his young squad.

Striker Marlon King is poised to make his home Middlesbrough debut in tomorrow’s crucial Barclays Premier League basement battle with Blackburn.

EDUARDO gave Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Gunners fans a boost last night as he made his much-anticipated comeback for the reserve side, 298 days after breaking his leg.

Defender Gavin Hoyte has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.

Middlesbrough defender Justin Hoyte will be out of action for four weeks after undergoing an operation on knee cartilage, it has been announced.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is facing up to a defensive crisis as he prepares for Arsenal’s visit to the Riverside Stadium tomorrow.

PHIL BROWN may insist he has no interest in taking charge at Sunderland, but nobody would dare accuse English football’s most in-demand young manager of lacking ambition.

German defender Robert Huth returns to the Middlesbrough squad for tomorrow’s trip to Hull in the Barclays Premier League.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will again give his young Gunners the chance to impress in tomorrow night’s Carling Cup quarter-final at Coca-Cola Championship side Burnley.

IT is always best to expect the unexpected at Newcastle United, so perhaps the notion of the club being hauled onto an even keel by Joe Kinnear — frozen out of football for four years, with question marks over his health and whose methods appeared to belong in football’s stone age — is not so surprising.

Middlesbrough 0 Newcastle 0

Striker Mido is back in contention for Middlesbrough’s Premier League derby against Newcastle at the Riverside Stadium tomorrow.

Arsenal expect to have Samir Nasri (knee), Emmanuel Adebayor and Bacary Sagna (both ankle) available for Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Chelsea.