AITOR KARANKA is due back on the training ground with his first team squad this morning, with Stewart Downing not ready to give up on his Middlesbrough career just yet.

Downing was left out of the match-day squad for Boro’s last two matches against Stoke City and Manchester City after a clash with the head coach at Rockliffe Park.

Middlesbrough’s hometown winger was overlooked for those matches after the disagreement ahead of the trip to Stoke when he was completely left out of the 18-man party.

There are fears Downing will not play again for Karanka, although the former England man still harbours hopes of playing for Middlesbrough again.

Sources close to the club insist he left Downing out because he was unimpressed with his attitude. It was also suggested he toyed with the idea of not letting him train with the first team last week after the incident, but decided against it in a bid to maintain team spirit.

However, despite Downing training ahead of the Manchester City game, he was still left out of the squad for the FA Cup quarter-final and it remains to be seen what happens over the next few days.

Karanka stressed after that cup exit he wants “18 fighters”, implying neither Downing nor £6m January buy Patrick Bamford, who was also left out, fitted the bill.

The Middlesbrough players have had the last two days off and will be back at Rockliffe this morning to start the build up towards Sunday’s visit of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United to the Riverside.

Pressure has been building on the shoulders of Karanka after failing to end a three month winless run in the Premier League that has seen them drop into the relegation zone.

The situation was hardly helped by his bust-up with the experienced Downing and there have also been increased injury concerns to contend with to.

Middlesbrough lost Bernardo Espinosa and Rudy Gestede to injury against Manchester City, joining Calum Chambers, Daniel Ayala and George Friend on the treatment table.

It would be a surprise to see any of those return to action against Manchester United, raising selection concerns at the back and in attack.

Downing would bring vital top-flight experience at a crucial time in the club’s season, although he has only started 13 games for Karanka in the league since promotion.

Middlesbrough are three points from safety and struggling to score goals with 11 matches remaining. Karanka needs a boost from somewhere and he could do with finding it during the build up to the visit of his friend Mourinho.

There was a hat-trick, meanwhile, for Finnish striker Mickael Soisalo when Middlesbrough’s Under 23s beat Blackburn 4-1.

Rovers edged ahead in the 19th minute when Cory Evans put them ahead but after that Middlesbrough took command.

Soisalo drilled in a low finish to level things up and powered a finish beyond Andrew Fisher in the Blackburn goal just after half an hour.

After half-time Hayden Coulson extended the lead when he twisted and turned himself into the space to shoot before Soisalo completed the win with 12 minutes to go.

Middlesbrough: Pears; Johnson, McGoldrick, McGhee, Silva Torrajon, Liddle, Tavernier, Coulson (Mondal 82), Pattison, Soisalo, Fewster. Subs (not used): Wheatley, Elsdon, Renton.