Birmingham City v Middlesbrough - Familiar foes blocking Boro road trip

Boro face a side led by former manager Aitor Karanka, although it is unlikely that ex-Boro captain George Friend will feature for the Blues, with the defender struggling with a leg injury.

Adam Clayton has been on the bench in the past few games for Karanka’s side, who also include a centre-forward who Boro fans know well in Lukas Jutkiewicz.

Blues goalkeeper Neil Etheridge was someone who Warnock looked at signing in the summer, with the Boro chief having worked with him previously at Cardiff, but his move for Marcus Bettinelli looks to be a shrewd one on the evidence of this season.

Warnock said: “There were not that many goalkeepers available. I did like Etheridge, who is playing against us.

“But they paid something like £1.7m. I’d have had to get 10 players in for that, I think.”

On the added spice of Boro locking horns with some familiar faces, he added: “Not really. I think when you have managed a club and you play an old one, then it does mean a bit more to you.

“I have always got on well with Aitor and he will want to do well. But he will want to do well against whoever he is playing.”

As a manager who has a record number of eight promotions, Warnock does not need to be told twice in terms of what Boro need to improve upon if they are to bridge the gap between promotion ‘wanabees’ to firm contenders.

While Boro possess the joint best total on home soil, their away form is in need of improvement if they are to maintain their top-six push with the Teessiders having won just once in nine matches on their travels.

Warnock commented: “I would sooner win at home, if I am honest. But you have got to get points away from home if you want to be in that top group.

“If we don’t, it just puts pressure on every home game that comes up. It is not that we are not trying and we have not had much rub of the green away from home when I look back.

“We have just got to get on with it. We have got a small squad and the lads who will be available, I cannot fault any of them for effort.”

Sam Morsy will be available after winning his appeal against his red card in Wednesday’s victory over Luton Town.

The midfielder was sent off for a deliberate handball in the incident that led to the award of a Luton penalty in the second half of the game.

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