TONY PULIS will resist the temptation to make wholesale changes for Middlesbrough’s weekend dead rubber with Ipswich Town.

Boro are assured of a place in the play-offs no matter what happens at Portman Road on Sunday, and while the identity of their opponents will be influenced by their result in Suffolk, their fate will also be determined by what happens in matches elsewhere.

There is no real incentive for Pulis to risk his leading lights on the final weekend of the season, but the Middlesbrough manager is expected to keep his tinkering to a minimum as he looks to maintain the momentum his side has generated in their last three matches.

Anyone carrying a knock will not be risked, but Boro’s squad has been largely injury free for the last few weeks. Rudy Gestede is the only long-term absentee, and the striker is not expected to return in time to be involved in any of the play-off games.

Pulis has made very few changes throughout his Riverside tenure. His back four has pretty much been a constant, with his only alterations tending to see Grant Leadbitter and Adam Clayton battle for a place at the base of midfield and Britt Assombalonga and Patrick Bamford go head-to-head for a starting spot up front.

Clayton and Assombalonga got the nod for last weekend’s 2-0 win over Millwall, although Leadbitter and Bamford were both named on the bench.

Pulis could turn to the likes of Fabio da Silva, Martin Cranie, Dael Fry and Jack Harrison if he wanted to wrap his first-choice players in cotton wool in three days’ time, but such a move would be counter-productive if it was to lead to Boro suffering a heavy defeat just a week before the first leg of their play-off game.

As a result, the Boro boss is set to name a strong line-up on Sunday, having previously spoken of his preference for a settled starting XI.

Speaking ahead of last month’s win over Nottingham Forest, Pulis said: “I don’t like changing things very much. It’s harder to get in the team here. If I feel the team is settled, then it’s very, very hard to get in that team. There are opportunities and chances for everybody, but I like to keep a settled team.”

Pulis’ success in guiding Boro into the play-offs has been recognised by his nomination for April’s Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month award along with Wolves’ Nuno Espirito Santo, Fulham’s Slavisa Jokanovic and Burton Albion’s Nigel Clough.

The Sky Bet Championship judging panel said of Pulis: “Brought in just before the New Year to secure a play-off place, he achieved exactly that in April. He used his nous and experience to inspire a haul of 11 points from six games, four of which came against promotion-chasing rivals.”

Daniel Ayala has been nominated for April’s Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month award, and will face competition from Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, Aston Villa striker Lewis Grabban and Hull City winger Harry Wilson.

Speaking of Ayala, the judging panel said: “A towering presence in a defence which conceded just five goals in six difficult-looking games, the Spaniard displayed his dominance in the air at both ends of the pitch, scoring three goals and providing an assist, all at corners.”