MUSTAPHA CARAYOL is set to be involved in Middlesbrough’s final game of the regular Championship season on Saturday in an attempt to prove his fitness ahead of the play-offs.

Carayol could make his first Boro appearance of the entire campaign as the Teessiders entertain Brighton, the club he has just left after completing a five-game loan spell at the Amex Stadium.

The 26-year-old winger, who was sidelined for more than a year after damaging his knee ligaments in March 2014, signed a new two-and-a-half year deal with Boro earlier this week, underlining his long-term importance to the club.

And with Boro’s place in the play-offs assured ahead of the final weekend, Aitor Karanka is hoping Carayol could yet play a significant role in the end-of-season shootout.

The Boro head coach said: “It’s important for us that he played a few games at Brighton. He feels a little bit better and I hope he will have his chance against Brighton.

“That will be especially (important) to check him, thinking about the play-offs. We hope he can have his chance.

“He is fitter than when he left, but it is not really about his fitness. It is more about his confidence because I had the same injury and you have to get your confidence back.

“Now, he is more confident, but he still needs time because it was a long-term injury. He needs time, but I have always said that he can be an important player for us.”

Karanka has ruled out making wholesale changes for Saturday’s game, but he will have to find a left-back replacement for George Friend, who is suspended following his dismissal at Fulham.

Boro will not be recalling James Husband from his loan at Craven Cottage, so Fernando Amorebieta is set to line up on the left-hand side of the back four.

Jelle Vossen is available despite having been a doubt in the build up to last weekend’s 4-3 reverse, but Patrick Bamford is rated at 50-50 as he continues to struggle with a long-standing ankle complaint.

Karanka said: “I don’t know about Patrick. He trained on Tuesday well, but he couldn’t train today. I will have to check with him and the doctor to see how he is. It is one muscle next to the ankle (that is causing concern).”

Had Boro not conceded a dramatic late goal at Fulham, they would have been heading into Saturday’s game with an outside chance of overhauling Bournemouth to squeeze into the top two.

As it is, the difference between the two clubs’ goal difference means the Cherries are assured of a place in the Premier League, but Karanka would not change his decision to send Dimi Konstantopoulos forward for a corner and feels both Bournemouth and Watford fully merit their place in the top-flight.

He said: “The players gave their best in every single minute, and if we have not got promotion directly, it is because we are not ready to get promotion and there were two teams who were better than us.

“It is fair to say that Bournemouth and Watford were better than us, and I congratulate both managers. They were better than us, and now we have to fight for our chance (to join them).”