MIDDLESBROUGH manager Chris Wilder admits he will be keeping an eye on results elsewhere and will make changes accordingly with Boro looking to better Luton Town and Sheffield United results tomorrow lunchtime

Boro’s play-off hopes hinge on whether they can beat Preston North End tomorrow and how the Hatters get on against Reading as well as how Sheffield’s tie against champions Fulham pans out.

Depending on what course the game at Deepdale takes across the afternoon, Wilder will adopt a nothing to lose approach if, for example, Boro need another goal for goal difference to climb into the play-offs.

“We’ll know” he said. “I’ve been in this situation before where you do.

“I’ve had it quite a number of times as well so you do find out by hook or by crook. We will be professional and we will want to know if something needs to change late on.

“But game management and reading the game at other places is only natural and we’ll have to do that but we can’t get caught up in too much about that.

“We have to make sure we get the job done on Saturday lunchtime. The boys are excited and in really good nick. They know how to win and game of football away and hopefully there is one big push to finish our regular season on a high.”

Nothing less than a victory will do for Boro who are chasing a place in the top six alongside Millwall, who sit three points off the play-offs and face recently promoted Bournemouth.

Whilst the manager won’t be afraid to change things, he wants his players to just be focused on what is happening on the pitch rather than let results elsewhere ramp up any pressure for them.

Wilder continued: "They need to play with clear minds. I think you'd see, from a tactical approach more than anything if we had to go chasing something.

“We want to win a game of football, and hopefully that will be enough. But if off the back of that anything has to happen then we're professional enough to try and make that happen. But this is a tough game, let's get that straight.”

While Preston are comfortably ensconced in mid-table in the Championship, Wilder is not expecting the Lilywhites to roll over in Lancashire. As much as Boro would like them too.

The Boro boss added: “Preston have had a fabulous home record for quite a long time and I've always felt it's quite a difficult place to go. I should imagine their home record would be top ten this season, possibly even top six. So it's a difficult place to go and get a result, and we have to be at our best to go and get that result.”