GEORGE Boateng has been given the green light to start his first season in a Middlesbrough shirt this Saturday.

The 26-year-old midfielder, who was signed for £5m this summer, has only been given a fine from the Football Association for misconduct. Boateng attended a disciplinary hearing yesterday afternoon where he was given a £2,500 fine and warned about his future conduct.

While at Aston Villa, the Dutchman was pulled up for throwing Leicester striker Paul Dickov's boot into the crowd following an incident involving the pair.

Dickov's boot had come off after a tackle and Boateng reacted during the clash at Filbert Street on April 20. There were fears from Boro that their new signing could be banned for the opening game of the new campaign at Southampton in three days' time.

The news will be a big boost to Boro boss Steve McClaren, who is already without Juninho for the rest of the year with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

But one player who will be available for the trip to the Saints is Gareth Southgate.

The new skipper has revealed he is ready to play in the clash after shrugging off a knee injury.

Southgate suffered bruising recently and he missed his side's matches in the Errea tournament and the friendly with Alaves a week ago.

But the centre-back has moved quickly to allay fears that he has joined Brazilian Juninho on the sidelines ahead of the long trip to the south coast.

"It's a load of rubbish," he said yesterday.

"I was bewildered to read in most of the papers this morning that I'm supposed to be missing the first couple of games.

"The truth is I trained yesterday without any problems and I can see no reason why I will not be ready for Saturday."

Had Southgate's injury been more serious it would have again dampened McClaren's spirits.

With summer signing Juninho ruled out until the New Year, to lose his inspirational captain would have meant reshuffling his pack still further. McClaren is already without left-back Franck Queudrue through suspension.

Southgate, meanwhile, admits it's going to be a different ball game for Boro this year.

Boro will field a more youthful side to the one that played the opening match of 2001-02.

Only five players of those involved in the 4-0 reverse to Arsenal, nearly a year ago, are expected to be selected at St Mary's by the boss.

Southgate, Ugo Ehiogu, Mark Schwarzer, Alen Boksic and Jonathan Greening all played their part that day and the Boro captain knows that this weekend will be a totally different situation.

The 31-year-old, a £6m capture from Aston Villa 13 months ago, will now lead the team out knowing he could be the oldest player in a Boro shirt. And Southgate said: "The four weeks I had off were spent recovering from last season, reflecting on the summer.

"Coming back I've noticed things are a lot different this year.

"It's noticeable the squad is a lot younger. Things certainly look a lot different to when I came here a year ago."

The relative success - a 12th place finish and an FA Cup semi-final place - in McClaren's first season in charge at the Riverside was largely down to his reliable backline.

Southgate has been a revelation alongside Ehiogu at the heart of the defence since he moved from Villa Park. And following Ince's departure in June, the former Crystal Palace man will be wearing the captain's armband for Boro for the new campaign.

Meanwhile, £8.15m record buy Massimo Maccarone has been handed the number nine shirt, he requested, worn by Ince last season for the new campaign.

Crocked Juninho has been given No 10 - the one he played in during 1996-97, which was his first spell on Teesside.

* Young Boro midfielder Mark Hudson has moved to Chesterfield on a month's loan.

* 'Keeper Mark Crossley has been named in the welsh squad to face Croatia on August 21

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