TONY PULIS is delighted to be welcoming Grant Leadbitter back into his squad for this afternoon’s game at Brentford, but the Middlesbrough manager admits it will be a major blow if Daniel Ayala is unable to line up at Griffin Park.

Leadbitter will return to Boro’s starting line-up after completing a two-match suspension, having shaken off the hamstring injury he sustained prior to serving his ban.

The skipper is a hugely influential figure within the Riverside dressing room, and Pulis is delighted to have him back in the squad for the final nine games of the season.

“Grant is fine and ready to go, and it’s a great addition to your squad, having your captain back,” said the Boro boss. “Grant is a great lad, and a very good captain as well.

“He’s a really good lad to have around the place, and I like the way he conducts himself. He’s a genuine kid as well, that’s the great thing about him. He’s got a real will to drive people on, and it’s great to have him back involved.”

Leadbitter’s return will almost certainly mean Adam Clayton dropping back down to the bench, despite the former Leeds and Huddersfield midfielder having performed impressively in last weekend’s win over Barnsley.

Leadbitter and Clayton tend to share the same role at the base of midfield, and the former is expected to get the nod to play alongside Jonny Howson and Mo Besic this afternoon.

“Adam has done brilliantly,” said Pulis. “I thought his game last week was probably the best he had played for us. It’s good to have the competition in there.

“Howson gives us the legs and is another midfield player who can break into the box and score, and Besic has been outstanding since he came here. I’ve got a dilemma, but that’s always nice.”

Pulis will be nursing a defensive headache if Ayala fails to make the starting line-up against the Bees, with the Spaniard’s partnership with fellow centre-half Ben Gibson having been a key factor in Boro’s recent upturn in fortunes.

The pair played superbly as the Teessiders mounted a spirited rear-guard action to win at Birmingham, and combined effectively once again as Barnsley threatened to mount a comeback in the second half of last weekend’s game.

Ayala is nursing a groin injury, and has not been able to train this week because of the problem. He has travelled to London, and will undergo a late fitness test before Pulis names his starting XI.

If he fails to make it, Dael Fry is expected to take his place at the heart of the back four, although Pulis could opt to move Ryan Shotton to centre-half and play January signing Martin Cranie at right-back.

“We’re hoping and praying that Dani will be fine,” said Pulis. “If he’s not, we’ve got options and we’ll look at it from there. He’s got a groin problem that has flared up. He was a bit better (yesterday), and we won’t be making a decision until right before kick-off because he is that important for us.”

Patrick Bamford will continue as Boro’s central striker, having scored eight goals in his last five outings. The 24-year-old is the most in-form forward in the Football League, despite having scored just one goal in the whole of the rest of the season prior to finding the target in last month’s win over Hull.

That goal opened the floodgates in terms of Bamford’s personal fortunes, and just as the former Chelsea trainee built up a head of steam in the second half of his first season as a Boro player, so he has clearly benefited from a massive boost of confidence during the current campaign.

“Patrick scored, and the whole weight of the world dropped off his shoulders,” said Pulis. “He’s gone from strength to strength. More than anybody else in your team, confidence always plays a big part in your strikers’ game, and the biggest injection of confidence for strikers is scoring goals. That’s what Patrick has done, and long may it continue.

“At the beginning, we were creating opportunities and chances, and the strikers weren’t taking them. Patrick was one of those strikers, but he’s got off the mark, and getting off the mark has taken a weight off his shoulders.”

While Bamford has hit a rich vein of form in the last month, Boro’s record signing, Britt Assombalonga, finds himself kicking his heels on the substitutes’ bench.

Assombalonga has not scored since Pulis watched on from the stands on Boxing Day, and no matter what happens in the final two months of the season, there has to be a good chance he will be moving on when the transfer window reopens in the summer.

For the time being though, he remains an important asset, and Pulis took time out this week to speak to him face-to-face to remind him of his responsibilities.

“Britt’s still there,” he said. “We had a chat with Britt this week, and he’s still got a massive part to play from now until the end of the season. He has to be focused, and if the call comes for him, he has to be sure he can add to what we’re trying to do as well.”