Middlesbrough have received a timely boost ahead of Sunday's Premier League derby clash at Sunderland as centre-back Daniel Ayala could make an unexpected return to contention.
Ayala, 25, did not feature in any of Boro's pre-season friendlies due to an ankle injury that kept him out of the 1-1 home draw against Stoke on the opening day and boss Aitor Karanka was forced to play Antonio Barragan, bought in the summer from Valencia primarily as a right-back, in central defence.
Karanka is actively looking to bring in a new central defender and Boro have failed with a recent bid for Hull's Harry Maguire, but Ayala has returned to full training and Karanka confirmed the Spaniard is available for selection.