CRISTHIAN STUANI is on standby to lead Middlesbrough’s attacking line at Southampton tomorrow, but head coach Aitor Karanka is hoping Alvaro Negredo and Gaston Ramirez will be passed fit to start at St Mary’s.

Neither Negredo nor Ramirez has been able to take part in a full training session this week, with the former having damaged his hamstring and the latter having sustained a painful kick to the foot in Monday’s 1-0 win over Hull City.

They will be examined by Boro’s medical staff this morning, with Karanka optimistic they will be given the green light to train with the rest of the squad before heading to the south coast.

With Jordan Rhodes also struggling because of a groin problem, Stuani will start as a lone striker if Negredo is unavailable, and while the Uruguayan has primarily been used in a wide position this season, Karanka would have no qualms about selecting him to play through the middle.

“They (Negredo and Ramirez) couldn’t train with the team this week,” said the Boro boss, who expects full-back George Friend to return to training at the start of next week. “They have been doing work on their own, so we will have to check them to see how they are. We will have to see how they are from an injury point of view, and also from a fitness point of view.

“If they can’t play, Stuani is an option, and a really good one. He has played a lot of games in his career as a striker, sometimes with the Uruguay national team. He has played in that position with (Luis) Suarez and (Edinson) Cavani, so he is used to it.”

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Southampton have attacking problems of their own to contend with, with leading goalscorer Charlie Austin having suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder in Thursday’s Europa League draw with Israeli side Hapoel Beer Sheva.

The 1-1 draw at St Mary’s meant Southampton crashed out of Europe at the group stage, and represented the first serious setback of Claude Puel’s reign.

The Saints have gone from strength to strength since they were promoted in 2012, surviving a number of managerial changes and the sale of a host of star players to record three top-ten finishes in a row.

They are often cited as an example for other newly-promoted clubs to follow, and Karanka is full of admiration for what they have achieved.

“They are definitely a model to follow,” he said. “They are improving every day and every year. They have not just built a good team – over the years they have also built a solid club with really good foundations.

“They’re a good example for us. They have a clear plan, and the main thing for a club is that when you need to change the manager because he’s left for other offers or you have to sack him, you have a clear plan to keep going. The coach or manager who is arriving then knows the plan and keeps going - Southampton are a good example of that.”

Southampton’s model relies heavily on a clear separation between the manager or head coach and the overarching recruitment structure run by head of football development Les Reed.

Reed, a former technical director at the Football Association, is credited with the successful recruitment of a host of young players who have moved on to generate a significant profit, and the development of an academy that continues to produce a succession of players capable of stepping up to the first team.

His equivalent at Middlesbrough is Spaniard Victor Orta, who was appointed last December after a series of successes at Sevilla, Zenit St Petersburg and Elche.

Orta heads up Boro’s recruitment team, working closely with head of scouting Gary Gill, and Karanka is happy to let his compatriot take the lead when it comes to identifying and pursuing potential signings.

“Victor is in a very important position for us, and it is position you have to have a lot of confidence in,” he said. “We have confidence in each other, and our relationship is amazing.

“If I remember my first two years here, I had to do everything, which was crazy. Now, I can focus on the games and know that when we have our first meeting in one or two weeks, he will bring me the best players possible.

“Right from the start, it was a surprise that such a respected head of recruitment or sporting director in Spain was available to sign. He has a big reputation in Spain.

“He wasn’t the sporting director at Sevilla, but the job he did there was amazing. He did a great job at Elche, so when the club told me he was available to sign, I didn’t have any doubts.

“I met him as a person and when you have a good relationship and you know how good he is at his job, you can go home relaxed knowing we will get the best players in the market.”