STEVE AGNEW is set to freeze out Gaston Ramirez for the remainder of Middlesbrough’s season after stressing that “discipline” will be the key to keeping his side’s survival hopes alive when they face Manchester City tomorrow.

Ramirez is available after serving the one-match suspension that was imposed in the wake of his senseless sending off at Bournemouth, but the midfielder will not feature in tomorrow’s starting line-up and is unlikely to be involved in the final four games of Boro’s season.

Agnew was infuriated with Ramirez’s attitude at the Vitality Stadium, with his dismissal for a lunge at Harry Arter coming within ten minutes of him being booked for a blatant dive in the Bournemouth penalty area.

With the Uruguayan back in the dressing room, Boro slumped to a 4-0 defeat, and having expressed a desire to leave the Riverside in January, Ramirez could well have played his final game in a Middlesbrough shirt.

In his absence, Boro will attempt to close the six-point gap that currently separates them from safety – the gap will increase to nine if Hull City win at Southampton this afternoon – when they entertain a Manchester City side equally desperate for points as they look to cement a Champions League place.

“I don't like to go back on things, but when I am disappointed with certain situations (like Ramirez’s dismissal), then obviously it stays with me,” said Agnew. “It stays with me, and so I know that the squad that is selected (against Manchester City) will bring all of the qualities I want.

“What I would say is that you have to be so organised and so disciplined, and the squad that I select will have those qualities.

“The word discipline, you can’t stress enough. I come from a disciplined background, and that is how I want my teams to play. If I don’t see it, then it is not something I enjoy.

“Against Manchester City, (we need) a disciplined, hard-working performance, and if we have that, we’re more than capable of getting the result we want.”

Wednesday’s Tees-Wear derby win provided Boro with a glimmer of hope at the foot of the table, but the odds remain firmly stacked against them as they look to haul themselves out of the bottom three.

After tomorrow’s game, the Teessiders face away matches at Chelsea and Liverpool, and a home game with Southampton, so they are going to have to beat at least two of the Premier League’s leading lights to have any realistic chance of avoiding the drop.

They have not managed to do that all season, although Marten de Roon’s dramatic late goal did secure a 1-1 draw at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in November. That proved Boro could compete with Pep Guardiola’s side, and Agnew sees no reason why they cannot go one better to claim all three points tomorrow.

“We’ve got to beat one of the big teams, and the first one that comes along is Manchester City,” said Agnew. “It’s pretty simple – we play City, and we have to take on the challenge. We have to win.

“The players involved the other night were terrific, and to a man they ran and covered the distance you have to do to win matches. That’s something we definitely need to do against the top teams.”

Wednesday’s win was Boro’s first in the Premier League for more than four months, and while it might not have made a marked difference to the overall relegation picture, it at least resulted in a rare moment of celebration in a largely downbeat campaign.

It remains to be seen whether the momentum counts for anything when it is Manchester City in the opposition half of the field rather than Sunderland, but Agnew is hoping his players’ increased confidence will help them raise their levels tomorrow.

“I think it’s obvious that the players hadn’t won a game since December 17, and you can’t underestimate that,” he said. “It’s over four months, it’s a long time, and we all know, I’ve been in the game a long time and you gain confidence and belief from winning football matches.

“That’s been difficult for the players, but you saw the other night (they were) fully committed, won a game, and are looking forward to the game against Manchester City.”

Boro are set to be without Daniel Ayala, who is struggling with the ankle injury that forced him off against Sunderland. Calum Chambers will start at centre-half, with Fabio da Silva slotting in at right-back.

Victor Valdes and Grant Leadbitter are also expected to be unavailable, with Brad Guzan continuing in goal and de Roon, Adam Clayton and Adam Forshaw forming the midfield three.