Middlesbrough team news vs Everton: Cristhian Stuani and Jordan Rhodes are injury doubts for Middlesbrough ahead of Merseyside trip
Find out who is expected to play as Middlesbrough travel to take on Everton, looking to bounce back after a defeat
MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Aitor Karanka has doubts over strikers Cristhian Stuani and Jordan Rhodes ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Everton.
Stuani limped out out last weekend's 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Place with a groin problem, while Rhodes suffered a knock to his knee in training on Thursday and both are being assessed.
Gaston Ramirez came off the bench against Palace after - like Stuani - only arriving back from international duty with Uruguay the previous day, and he will hope for a recall.
Otherwise only long-term absentees James Husband (dislocated shoulder), Fabio da Silva (knee) and Grant Leadbitter (hernia surgery) are still missing.
Spaniard Karanka will go head-to-head with Toffees coach Ronald Koeman having admired him from afar in his glory days as a player at Barcelona.
He said: "He never played against my team - I was younger! But I know Ronald Koeman as a player was amazing.
"I played as a central defender and for me, he was an example. Those years when he played at Barcelona, they won the Champions League here at Wembley, he scored, so he is a good reference."
Middlesbrough likely (4-4-1-1):
Valdes; Barragán, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Clayton, Forshaw, Stuani, Fischer, Downing, Negredo.