Boro striker Assombalonga set to make international debut

Assombalonga will make his DR Congo debut in Tuesday’s friendly against Tanzania after accepting an invitation to pledge his international allegiance to the African country where he was born.

The Middlesbrough striker left the Congolese capital Kinshasa to move to London when he was just eight months old, and has previously turned down the opportunity to play for the land of his birth.

He turned down an offer to participate in last year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament, and also rebuffed the advances of the DR Congo authorities shortly after moving to Middlesbrough last summer.

However, his stance has subsequently shifted, and after finding his first-team opportunities under Tony Pulis extremely limited, he will be hoping to get some much-needed match practice in Tuesday’s game in Dar-es-Salaam.

Assombalonga scored 12 league goals in the first half of the season, but has not found the net since claiming Boro’s second goal in their Boxing Day win over Bolton Wanderers.

He started four of Pulis’ first five matches in charge, but has failed to start eight of the club’s last nine games, with his manager preferring to start with Patrick Bamford as his lone centre-forward.

“I did not come (to play for DR Congo at an earlier date) because I wanted to stay in my club where I had just joined,” said Assombalonga, whose long-term Boro future has been cast into doubt by Pulis’ reluctance to start him.

“I spoke to the coach (at DR Congo) and he asked me to come to play this friendly match. It’s very good to come back to the country, and the goal is to have the maximum results.

“My father did not influence me in my choice to play for the DRC. It’s my own choice – Congo is in my blood and it’s good for me.”

Two Boro players were in international action at the weekend, with Mo Besic playing for 84 minutes of Bosnia’s 1-0 win over Bulgaria and Mikael Soisalo helping Finland Under-21s claim a 2-0 win over Lithuania.