 Friday, 11th Sep 2009 14:30 Town could give debuts to new signings Grant Leadbitter, Liam Rosenior and Carlos Edwards when the take on Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday. Edwards is the least likely of the three to start as he isn’t due back from international duty with Trinidad and Tobago until this evening. Leadbitter seems certain to come into the side at the centre of midfield, while Rosenior will start at right-back. Edwards seems likely to be used from the bench as he is yet to train with his new team-mates since his move from Sunderland, having been away with his international squad. The right midfielder also faces a gruelling multi-legged flight before finally joining up with the Town travelling party at the club’s hotel when a decision will be made on whether he starts. The Blues are flying up to Teesside this afternoon, having held a training session on the Portman Road pitch this lunchtime. Rosenior will come in at right-back, allowing skipper Alex Bruce to return to centre-half, probably alongside Gareth McAuley, with Pim Balkestein dropping to the bench. At left-back, Keane will have to choose between Tommy Smith, who played in the last game against Preston, and Damien Delaney, who as the more experienced man may get the nod. Richard Wright will be in goal. In midfield, Grant Leadbitter has come in to become the linchpin of the Town engine room and may well be partnered in the centre by loanee Jack Colback. The Sunderland youngster, who as a schoolboy had a trial with Boro, has impressed more and more with each game he has played for the Blues. Jaime Peters is another possibility for a central role with the Canadian back from his ankle injury, although a place on the bench is more likely. Lee Martin will continue on the left with Jon Walters on the right unless Keane springs a surprise and gives Edwards a start. Up front, Pablo Couñago and Tamás Priskin will probably continue with the Spaniard getting closer to full fitness and likely to be given longer than the hour he has played in Town’s most recent two matches. Only Luciano Civelli and David Norris remain on the sidelines with the knee injuries which will keep them out of action until Christmas, while Ben Thatcher appears firmly out of the first team picture at present. Keane, who still has no doubt that Town can push for promotion this season, says the international break has allowed Leadbitter and Rosenior to settle into the squad: “We’ve had a couple of new players come in, who have had some decent hours on the training pitch, so there’s been pluses. “Obviously, we’ve not seen Carlos yet, but we’ve got some good training under our belts and we need to put that into action on match day. “We’ve been working very hard, but there’s no magic wand. We’ve got some good players, but it’s taken a while to get going in terms of getting that first win under our belts, which I’m sure will give the players confidence and get that momentum going. But we’ve not managed to get that yet. “With the two or three new faces coming in, I’m pretty confident that over the next few weeks and months we’ll be going up the table.” Middlesbrough are a club for whom Keane has a lot of time: “Even in my short time as a manager, when I’ve come up against Middlesbrough and Gareth and his staff, I have to say they’ve shown a lot of class, they’re good people.” Keeper Brad Jones could return for Boro after an ankle injury, while midfielder Gary O’Neil is back after a double hernia problem. Boss Gareth Southgate says Jones’s return gives him a dilemma with Danny Coyne having impressed in the Australian’s absence: "We've got two very good goalkeepers. Brad established himself as number one last year but throughout the season we had good competition. "Danny has started very well with four clean sheets and has been everything we'd wanted when we signed him. "There's a case for both keepers and I know whoever plays will do very well. It's good to have those options and decisions to make." The former England international, whose fourth-placed side have won three, drawn one and lost one so far this season, doesn’t think Town will occupy their current lowly position for long: "They've got some good players there and I expect them to be at the other end of the table come the end of the season. "They've got a few new signings coming in and they'll be desperate to come here and get a result. "Roy will want to get that first win and a first point away from home. He's always driven and he'll have a point to prove." Austrian international Emanuel Pogatetz is a couple of weeks away from a return after undergoing surgery on both knees, while Chris Riggott is out having had an ankle operation. Didier Digard has a groin problem and will also miss out. Boro are hoping to add Preston defender Sean St Ledger and Hull striker Caleb Folan to their squad on loan in time to face the Blues. Town have had the better of Middlesbrough over the years, winning 26 games (24 in the league), drawing 10 (10) and losing 15 (14). The sides last met in the Carling Cup at Portman Road in November 2002 when the Blues won 3-1 with Thomas Gaardsøe, Jamie Clapham and Darren Bent scoring for Town and Franck Queudrue for Boro. In the league, the most recent fixtures came in Town’s 2001/02 relegation campaign. At the Riverside, the teams played out a 0-0 draw, while later that season Darren Bent netted his first career goal to give the Blues a 1-0 victory at Portman Road. Boro defender Matthew Bates spent time on loan with Town in the 2006/07 season, making two appearances before a cruciate knee ligament injury saw him return home. Bates is again out of action with a knee ligament injury — his fourth — and is not expected to play this season. No current member of the Town squad has played for the Teessiders. Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson has named Saturday’s game the ‘Save Our Steel match’ in support of 4,000 Corus workers whose jobs are under threat. Before kick-off, 70 steelworkers and their families will march around the pitch. Saturday’s referee is Kevin Friend from Leicestershire, who has shown 12 yellow cards and one red in three games so far this season. Friend is best known by Town fans for sending off Fabian Wilnis twice in successive years at Plymouth and needlessly booking several more Blues on each occasion. Friend’s last Town game saw the Blues lose 1-0 away at Doncaster Rovers in November last year. Squad from: R Wright, Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, Delaney, D Wright, Smith, Bruce, McAuley, Balkestein, Leadbitter, Colback, Walters, Martin, Edwards, Quinn, Trotter, Peters, Garvan, Healy, Couñago. Priskin, Wickham, Stead.
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