Town have made four changes for this afternoon’s crucial top-of-the-table home game against Middlesbrough.

Leif Davis returns at left-back after missing the 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth at Tuesday after his partner gave birth to their first child, while Jack Taylor is in midfield, Jaden Philogene wide on the left and Ivan Azon the number nine. Cedric Kipre, Jack Clarke, Dan Neil and George Hirst drop to the bench.

Middlesbrough are again without key midfielder and summer Town target Hayden Hackney but forward Morgan Whittaker is back on the bench and Matt Targett is fit enough to start and former Blues loanee Jeremy Sarmiento OK to be among the subs, the pair having been subbed in their 1-0 defeat to Pompey last weekend.

Boro make two changes with Alex Gilbert and Luke Ayling coming into the team for Riley McGree, who drops out of the squad, and Sarmiento. Ex-Blues central defender George Edmundson is also on the bench.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor, McAteer, Nunez, Philogene, Azon. Subs: Palmer, Kipre, Johnson, Neil, Mehmeti, Walle Egeli, Clarke, Akpom, Hirst.

Middlesbrough: Brynn, Brittain, Ayling, Fry (c), Malanda, Targett, Morris, Browne, Gilbert, Conway, Strelec. Subs: Wildsmith, Edmundson, Bangura, Silvera, Hansen, Sarmiento, Whittaker, Ibeh, Sene. Referee: Jarred Gillett (Australia).

Photo: Action Images