Middlesbrough boss urges his players to use their lunch-time kick-off to pile the pressure on Burnley

Boro head to the Macron Stadium for a 12.30pm kick-off in two days’ time, and while third-placed Brighton take on Fulham tomorrow, Burnley  do not face Birmingham until 3pm.

By that stage, the Clarets will be five points behind Boro if the Teessiders have taken all three points against the side currently in bottom position, and Karanka is urging his players to do whatever they can to put pressure on Sean Dyche’s team.

Last season, Boro played a number of their most crucial matches after their rivals had already won, and Karanka admits the scheduling of games can make a huge difference at this stage of the season.

“Maybe it will be an advantage,” said the Boro head coach. “It is always about momentum, and ours is really good, so for that reason it could be an advantage.

“We played last Tuesday, and Brighton had played on the Monday. We knew they had scored a late winner (at Nottingham Forest), and for us it could have been a little bit of pressure. The team was really good though.

“Last season, it was difficult because I remember when we played against Fulham, Watford had already won their game. We felt that pressure to beat Fulham, but I think this season we are really confident.  We have a better squad, and are more mature.”

Boro will head to Bolton buoyed by a five-game winning run that culminated in Tuesday night’s dramatic 2-1 win over Reading.

There were no new injury worries to emerge from this week’s game, but Karanka will be monitoring his players’ fitness levels closely with a trip to Burnley following three days after the Bolton game.

“Everyone is available, but it is about how tired they are,” said Karanka. “They have played a lot of matches, and the game on Tuesday was much more difficult than just 90 minutes from a fitness point of view.

“I will have to speak to them. They have been off today, but they are in tomorrow and I will also speak with the doctors and check all of them.”