AITOR KARANKA has named an unchanged starting line-up for Middlesbrough's crucial Championship game at Birmingham.

Boro head into their final away game of the regular season locked together on points with Burnley and Brighton, who do not play until Monday afternoon.

Provided the Teessiders claim at least a point at St Andrew's, they will head into their final game knowing that any victory over Brighton will guarantee promotion.

With George Friend again missing because of a hamstring injury, Karanka has opted to stick with the side that drew 0-0 with Ipswich last weekend.

Jordan Rhodes is once again preferred to David Nugent up front, with Gaston Ramirez continuing in the 'number ten' role with Stewart Downing and Albert Adomah on either side of him.

Birmingham boss Gary Rowett has included two former Middlesbrough players - Jonathan Grounds and Diego Fabbrini - in his starting XI.

Birmingham (4-3-3): Legdzins; Caddis, Morrison, Shotton, Grounds; Gleeson, Kieftenbeld, Davis; Cotterill, Donaldson, Fabbrini.

Subs: Trueman (gk), Robinson, Vaughan, Solomon-Otabor, Spector, Lafferty, Buckley.

Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Konstantopoulos; Nsue, Gibson, Ayala, de Laet; Leadbitter, Clayton; Adomah, Ramirez, Downing; Rhodes.

Subs: Agazzi (gk), Kalas, Husband, Forshaw, de Sart, Stuani, Nugent.