North-East Sport
Boro forced in to further changes
2:30pm Saturday 4th February 2012
TONY MOWBRAY has been forced to make further alterations to his Middlesbrough team for this afternoon's visit of Crystal Palace in the Championship.
With Boro in need of finding their first win of 2012 in the league, Mowbray must try to achieve it without striker Scott McDonald (knee) and midfielder Barry Robson (hand).
The absence of the former Celtic pair has opened the door to Kevin Thomson, desperate to make an impression after injury and suspension, and Joe Bennett.
Bennett has been left out in the last two matches but has been recalled in the hope he can recapture the sort of form that made him a regular under Mowbray.
It remains to be seen what system the team will play, although there is a chance that he could start with wing-backs.
MIDDLESBROUGH (5-3-2): Steele; Hoyte, McMahon, Bates, Hines, Bennett; Williams, Thomson, Haroun; Emnes, Jutkiewicz. Subs (not used): McManus, Martin, Main, Ripley (gk), Smallwood.
CRYSTAL PALACE (4-3-3): Speroni; Parr, McCarthy, Gardner, Clyne; Dikgacoi, Jedinal, Ambrose; Zaha, Martin, Easter. Subs (not used): Garvan, Scannell, Murray, McShane, Price (gk)