JONATHAN WOODGATE makes his first league start of the season in a Middlesbrough team that contains seven changes for tonight’s Championship fixture at Blackpool.

With Bournemouth and Derby playing each other, Boro could claim the top spot with a win at Bloomfield Road.

And with one eye on Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round tie at Arsenal Karanka has rung the changes.

Woodgate, Daniel Ayala, Dean Whitehead, Tomas Kalas, Adam Forshaw, Adam Reach, and Kike all come in with Ben Gibson, Grant Leadbitter, Lee Tomlin, Kenneth Omeruo and Patrick Bamford all dropping to the bench.

Woodgate’s only other start this season came in the Capital One Cup win at Oldham Athletic.

Blackpool: Lewis, McMahon Clarke, O'Dea, Dunne, O'Hara, Perkins, Cameron, Orlandi, Telford, Davies.

Subs: Parish, Aldred, Maher, Waddington, Rothwell, Delfouneso, Madine.

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos; Kalas, Woodgate, Ayala; Adomah, Forshaw, Clayton, Whitehead, Reach; Vossen, Kike.

Subs: Mejias, Gibson, Omeruo, Leadbitter, Ledesma, Tomlin, Bamford.