MIDDLESBROUGH have announced a second pre-season friendly by confirming they will return to York City.

Boro's first-team squad will head for Bootham Crescent on July 9 at 12.30pm, the same venue where they won 1-0 12 months ago when Bradley Fewster found the net.

The match was marred by a horrific injury to Alex Baptiste, who suffered a double leg fracture on his Middlesbrough debut after moving as a free agent.

Head coach Aitor Karanka's side, gearing up for a Premier League campaign, will provide York with a stern test having just been relegated from the Football League.

Middlesbrough have already confirmed they will head to another relegated club - Aston Villa - for a friendly on Saturday, July 30 at 3pm.

Karanka will hope to have a number of new recruits on sjhow that day, including Denmark winger Viktor Fischer. Middlesbrough have been linked with Lyon’s experienced left-back Henri Bedimo by respected French newspaper L’Equipe.