LEO PERCOVICH will preside over his fifth game in caretaker charge of Middlesbrough when Huddersfield Town visit the Riverside on Saturday, with Boro officials still putting the finishing touches to Michael Carrick intended appointment as the club’s new permanent head coach.

Carrick has agreed to take over on Teesside, but talks between the former England international and senior members of the Boro hierarchy continue with a couple of outstanding issues still be ironed out.

As a result, Carrick will not be in charge for Saturday’s game with the Terriers, with Percovich continuing in the interim managerial position he assumed when Chris Wilder was dismissed earlier this month.

Having guided Boro out of the Championship relegation zone as he presided over a 4-1 win at Wigan Athletic, Percovich will attempt to engineer another success against a Huddersfield side that slipped to the bottom of the table this week.

Former Middlesbrough skipper Grant Leadbitter has joined his temporary backroom team, and was part of the group that prepared Boro’s players for their victory at the DW Stadium of Wednesday night.

Leadbitter will be working alongside fellow coaches Craig Liddle and Mark Tinkler at the weekend, with Lee Cattermole concentrating on his full-time role as head of the Under-18s.

Carrick’s first game in charge is likely to be the away game at Preston a week on Saturday, which means he is set to lead Boro for five matches before the Championship shuts down for the World Cup finals in Qatar.

The 41-year-old is still finalising the make-up of the backroom team that will accompany him to the Riverside, and is determined to give himself the best possible chance of success as he prepares to tackle his first managerial position.

Carrick has previously worked on the backroom staff at Manchester United under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, and took caretaker charge of three matches after the latter’s departure last November.