AITOR KARANKA has made three changes to his Middlesbrough side for this afternoon's Premier League game at Arsenal.

Daniel Ayala, Adam Clayton and Adam Traore come into the side that lost at home to Watford last weekend, with Calum Chambers, Stewart Downing and Cristhian Stuani dropping out of the starting line-up.

Chambers is ineligible because he is on a season-long loan from Arsenal, so Ayala will partner Ben Gibson at the heart of the back four at the Emirates.

Clayton is expected to play alongside Marten de Roon at the base of midfield, with Adam Forshaw pushing slightly further forward.

Traore will make his first Middlesbrough start on the right-hand flank, with Gaston Ramirez set to shuffle across to the left-hand side.

Alvaro Negredo will line up as a lone striker, with neither Jordan Rhodes nor Viktor Fischer included in the match-day squad of 18.

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal; Elneny, Coquelin; Sanchez, Iwobi, Ozil; Walcott.

Subs: Ospina (gk), Gibbs, Gabriel, Perez, Reine-Adelaide, Maitland-Niles, Oxlade-Chamberlain.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-2-3-1): Valdes; Barragan, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; de Roon, Clayton; Traore, Forshaw, Ramirez; Negredo.

Subs: Guzan (gk), Fabio, Espinosa, de Sart, Stuani, Downing, Nugent.