TEENAGER Dael Fry will make his first Middlesbrough appearance in this lunch-time’s Championship opener at Preston North End.
The 17-year-old has been given the chance to shine alongside Daniel Ayala at the heart of the Boro defence in the absence of the injured Ben Gibson.
Fry, an England Under-18s international, has impressed during pre-season and has been rewarded with a chance to start the new campaign for the hometown club he has played for since he was seven.
He is joined in the Middlesbrough team by Stewart Downing, who made the move back to Teesside from West Ham this summer in a deal worth £7m. The other two recruits of the summer on show are Cristhian Stuani and Diego Fabbrini, who start on the bench.
PRESTON NORTH END (3-4-1-2): Pickford; Clarke, Huntington, Wright; Vermijl, Welsh, Johnson, Cunningham; Gallagher; Keane, Garner. Subs: James (gk), Humphrey,, Kilkenny, Woods, Browne, Brownhill, Hugill.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-2-3-1): Konstantopoulos; Kalas, Ayala, Fry, Friend; Clayton, Leadbitter; Adomah, Downing, Reach; Kike. Subs: Mejias (gk), Carayol, Stephens, Stuani, Nsue, Fabbrini, Forshaw.
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