WHATEVER happens in the final eight matches of the season, Tony Mowbray has warned Middlesbrough supporters to expect a number of high-profile departures in the summer.

The Teessiders take on Wolves this afternoon looking to salvage a promotion campaign that has stuttered alarmingly in recent weeks, but whether Boro make it to the Premier League or not, significant changes are anticipated in the close season.

Stephen McManus, Nicky Bailey, Julio Arca and Kieron Dyer are all out of contract and unlikely to have their current deals extended, while it remains to be seen whether Mowbray takes up the one-year extension that is built in to Andre Bikey's contract.

Josh McEachran, Sammy Ameobi and Ishmael Miller will return to their permanent employers, with Scott McDonald's future once again the subject of considerable conjecture as the Boro hierarchy attempt to clear space in the wage bill for new arrivals.

"The Financial Fair Play rules will be in for next season and they'll definitely play a part in our thinking," said Mowbray. "Every club has to try to get its house in order regarding the balance of what it pays out compared to what it brings in."There'll be some players out of contract that we won't be able to offer similar terms to, and I'm sure they'll look elsewhere and see what they can get somewhere else. There'll be other players that will move on naturally.

"Will we receive any bids for players? We'll wait and see, but I don't envisage us being in a situation where we're just going to add loads of players. It's a financial numbers game, and without the parachute payments, you don't have the safety net of up to £23m to play with.

"We haven't had that for the last couple of years, so you have to balance your books without it. We'll be doing that in the summer as well."

One player Mowbray will not be in a rush to release is goalkeeper Jason Steele, who is on course to end the season as Boro's Player of the Year.

Steele was involved in both games as England under-21s recorded back-to-back wins over Romania and Austria this week, and is expected to be a key part of Stuart Pearce's squad that travels to Israel this summer for the European Championships.

The Newton Aycliffe-born shot-stopper is widely regarded as one of the leading goalkeepers outside the Premier League, and Mowbray admits it is sometimes easy to take his ability for granted given that he only turned 22 at the start of the season.

"You have to remember the context of just how young he is," he said. "People forget that because he's almost a permanent fixture in our team now, yet he's still a young boy."He's done exceptionally well for us. Like any young player, he's had little highs and the occasional dip, but he has a really good mentality to recover from any mistakes.

"That's the most positive thing for Jason - in a position where you are as exposed as anybody, he has a really strong mentality and that will stand him in good stead."