GARRY MONK is ready to welcome Rudy Gestede back into the squad for tomorrow’s game at Bristol City, but the Middlesbrough manager is not about to make wholesale changes despite last weekend’s capitulation at the hands of Derby County.

Gestede has been sidelined since suffering a serious thigh injury at the end of August, but having made a successful reappearance for the Under-23s on Sunday, the striker is set to be named amongst the Middlesbrough substitutes tomorrow.

Monk will have to make one change to his starting line-up at Ashton Gate, with Dael Fry expected to partner Ben Gibson at centre-half in the absence of the suspended Daniel Ayala, but the Boro boss is keen to avoid any knee-jerk reactions to the second-half setback against Derby.

Boro committed a series of individual errors as Derby ran out 3-0 winners at the Riverside, but with his side having won four of their last five games prior to losing to the Rams, Monk will not be making any radical alterations at Ashton Gate.

“I understand it (the clamour for changes),” said the Boro boss, whose side are three points adrift of the play-off places but 11 points off an automatic-promotion spot. “When you’re not where you want to be and are having the kind of setbacks we’ve been having, then outwardly everyone will always question everything.

“But inwardly, we have to hold on to an understanding of where the players are at and what they are doing. In terms of our defensive shape and how we work, we concede very little in terms of teams breaking us down and playing through us.

“That’s an indication of what is working, but there have been a lot of avoidable mistakes that have been costly, and at the other end, we haven’t been clinical enough in terms of taking chances. That comes down to focus and application, and that’s what needs to be worked on.”

Nevertheless, Gestede’s return offers a different attacking option to what Monk has been working with in recent weeks.

Britt Assombalonga’s 11 league goals make him the joint second-highest scorer in the Championship, but while Boro’s record signing has proved extremely effective in the penalty area, he is not a striker that will pull opposition defenders out of position or look to hold up the ball and link play.

Gestede was doing exactly that in the early weeks of the season, scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory over Sheffield United and also impressing as the Teessiders beat Burton, and his physicality and aerial ability have been missed in the last couple of months.

At the very least, the 29-year-old can offer an alternative option from the substitutes’ bench if things are not going to plan, and while Monk will be reluctant to move Assombalonga into a wide position to accommodate his return, the former Blackburn striker is likely to be an influential figure during the remainder of the campaign.

“As a manager, you want to have as many different options as you can,” said Monk. “If it’s a different option, something different that might help your team, then that’s even better.

“It’s especially good to have Rudy back because of the way he was playing before he got injured. He was playing very well, and contributing really well to the team. He got a really unfortunate injury, and it’s been a long period for him getting back, but he’s come back determined.

“It’s for Rudy to fight to get back into the team now. It’s not just a given that you’re going to get back into the team, but Rudy does provide another option, and maybe a different type of option to anything else we’ve got in the squad.

“It’s about seeing how he is and where he is at, and then assessing what we might need in the game, and where the game might go in terms of the different scenarios we might face. That’s the point of having the squad, to be able to do that. Rudy is working very hard, but so are the others. Their job is to make it a difficult decision as I assess who might be best to give us what we need in this game.”

Whereas Aitor Karanka was extremely reluctant to name first-team players in the Under-23s, Monk regarded Sunday’s outing at Bishop Auckland’s Heritage Park as a key part of Gestede’s recovery.

“Getting those minutes under his belt for the Under-23s was important, and it was a good chance for us to properly assess him,” he said. “We’ll have a good look at him over the next 24 hours and see whether he’s involved at the weekend – he’s definitely got a chance. We’re assessing him every day and having a good look at him, then we’ll make the decision of what squad we go with.”

Fry will replace Ayala, and while the England Under-21 international was dropped after a couple of shaky displays in late September, Monk has no worries about restoring him to the team.

“I’ve got no concerns about any of the players stepping in,” he said. “They’re all clear about what they have to do, and what level we expect from them. They’re very clear about their roles in the team. Whoever comes in at any part of the pitch, I’ve got no worries.”