Middlesbrough supporter Mark Venus will captain Town against Boro in the Worthington Cup tonight in the absence of Matt Holland. Skipper Holland and a number of other senior players are being rested.

New manager Joe Royle says he likes a captain to be playing at the back: "I think it is best to have a defender as skipper, and I shall be having a word with Mark about it.

"A rest will do Matt good, while I did not consider Jim Magilton or Darren Ambrose."

John McGreal and Wayne Brown are both out with calf and back injuries respectively, while Alun Armstrong is on the sidelines due to the hamstring knock picked up against Crystal Palace.

The striker is due back on Saturday for the visit to Bramall Lane which is Pablo Couñago's last match of his suspension. Marcus Bent is awaiting a report on his groin injury after visiting a specialist earlier this week.

Martijn Reuser and Richard Naylor are still a few weeks away from action after their knee operations.

Royle has confirmed that Fabian Wilnis, Tommy Miller and Finidi George will all be in his starting line-up this evening.

Squad: Marshall, Pullen, Makin, Gaardsøe, Venus, Wilnis, Hreidarsson, T Miller, Wright, Clapham, D Bent, George, Logan, Westlake, Bloomfield and Richards.

Photo: Action Images

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