As expected, Blues boss Paul Jewell has handed season-long loan signing Guirane N’Daw his Town debut at Middlesbrough this afternoon. The 44-times-capped Senegalese international comes into the centre of midfield alongside Andy Drury with Massimo Luongo dropping to the bench.
Skipper Carlos Edwards comes back into the side for Jack Ainsley, who joins Luongo amongst the subs, with the team otherwise unchanged.
Boro manager and former Blue Tony Mowbray includes another ex-Town skipper Grant Leadbitter and summer target George Friend. Full match preview here.
Town: Loach, Edwards (c), Chambers, Smith, Cresswell, Drury, N’Daw, Taylor, Martin, Murphy, Chopra. Subs: Lee-Barrett, Ainsley, Hyam, Luongo, Emmanuel-Thomas, Scotland, Murray.
Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Woodgate (c), Bikey, Friend, Thomson, McEachran, Leadbitter, Reach, L Williams, Miller. Subs: Leutwiler, Jutkiewicz, Arca, Carayol, Zemmama, Hines, Ledesma.