Stewart Downing is refusing to give up on his Middlesbrough career despite a training ground disagreement with Aitor Karanka.
The 32-year-old former England midfielder and Boro's Spanish head coach are understood to have had a difference of opinion during the build-up to Saturday's FA Cup sixth-round clash with Manchester City.
Downing did not make the matchday squad for that game and when asked about his and January signing Patrick Bamford's exclusion after the game, Karanka spoke of his need for '18 fighters'.
Sources on Teesside have confirmed that Downing, who was disgruntled to have been left out the the squad for Premier League trip to Stoke on March 4, raised the issue with the Spaniard and received a blunt response.