TONY PULIS expects to make another two or three signings before the transfer window closes, and admits there will also be players leaving Middlesbrough in the next few weeks.

Boro claimed a 2-0 win at Spennymoor Town last night as they made their first pre-season outing on English soil, with Patrick Bamford and Britt Assombalonga finding the net at Brewery Field.

Pulis has made two signings so far this summer, with Aden Flint and Paddy McNair moving from Bristol City and Sunderland respectively, and the pair both played the full 90 minutes of tonight’s game.

Further additions are anticipated, with Pulis especially keen to sign a centre-forward and winger as he looks to strengthen his squad. Burnley’s Sam Vokes is understood to be a leading target in attack, although the Clarets are demanding around £15m for the striker, while West Brom’s Matt Phillips is one of the wide players currently under consideration.

Pulis will also listen to offers for a number of players within his squad, with record signing Britt Assombalonga and full-back Fabio da Silva, who was the only unused substitute last night, especially vulnerable.

It also remains to be seen what Boro’s response will be if they receive sizeable offers for either Ben Gibson or Adama Traore before the transfer window closes on August 9.

“Hopefully, over the next couple of weeks, there’ll be players coming in and players going out,” said Pulis, who will take his players to Germany for a training camp on Friday. “Hopefully, we’ll improve the squad.

“It’s not a case of trying to rush things through just because we’re back, it’s just about making sure they’re the right ones to come in. The right ones sometimes don’t come up this early in the window.

“We need to do it before it all closes down and finishes, but it’s about picking your time and your moment, and not getting too impatient and picking the wrong ones.

“We’re looking all over the squad really. There are one or two that need to leave and play some football, that’s obvious to everybody.”

George Friend, Daniel Ayala and Stewart Downing were all absent last night, although their non-appearance was down to minor injury concerns rather than anything more sinister.

“George has had a cut on his eye, and we just didn’t want to take a chance with him,” said Pulis. “Stewart felt his knee in training yesterday a little bit, but he’ll be okay, and Daniel has a bit of a problem with his calf so we have to be careful with that. There’s one or two knocks that we’ll go steady with.”

Boro’s second pre-season game was an entertaining enough affair, with Spennymoor providing decent opposition despite standing four divisions below their opponents in the football pyramid.

Flint partnered Dael Fry at centre-half, while his fellow newcomer, McNair, was at the heart of the action as Boro claimed a second-minute lead, bursting into the area to draw a crude foul from Spennymoor goalkeeper Matthew Gould.

Bamford stepped up to convert from the spot, and the former Chelsea trainee was the liveliest player on display for the majority of the evening as he drifted in from the left-hand side in an attempt to get on the ball.

Bamford came close to adding a second goal with a free-kick that sailed narrowly over the bar on the half-hour mark, and Gould got down well to keep out a first-half drive from Traore after the winger broke purposefully from inside his own half.

Pulis made seven changes in the first ten minutes of the second half, with Boro’s remodelled side featuring McNair at right-back and Fry playing alongside Grant Leadbitter at the base of midfield.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 68th minute, with Assombalonga slotting home at the second attempt after his initial effort had been saved.

“It was a decent work-out,” said Pulis. “It’s early in pre-season, so I’m not too bothered about the results. I’m more concerned about the performance with respect to the fitness levels, and making sure they put everything into it.

“They look pretty fit to me. They’re running around at least. We’ll try to add a little bit more now, and when we get to Germany, they’ll play a bit longer. The opposition will be stronger, and it will be different. The weather is going to be a lot hotter, even more than it is here, and it’ll be good for us. We’re going to be preparing everything so we’re ready for that first game.

“The one thing I’ve learned about pre-season is that the results are irrelevant. You can go through a pre-season winning all your games and then start the season awfully. And vice-versa. It’s just about getting the players fit and in the right condition to start the season.”

Spennymoor (4-1-4-1): Gould (Trialist 86); Brogan (Trialist 70), Thackray (Trialist 46), Atkinson, Williams (Hall 46); Chandler; Ramshaw, Hibbs, Henry (Foley 46), Johnson (Curtis 46); Taylor (Trialist 70).

Middlesbrough (4-3-3): Randolph (Konstantopoulos 55); Shotton, Flint, Fry, Gibson (Johnson 46); McNair, Clayton (Leadbitter 55), Howson (de Sart 55); Traore (Wing 55), Gestede (Assombalonga 46), Bamford (Fletcher 46).