Middlesbrough boss Garry Monk will have a near-clean bill of health for Sunday's derby clash with Sunderland.
Full-back Fabio da Silva suffered a knock to his ankle during Tuesday evening's 3-1 Sky Bet Championship victory at Hull and was also unwell after the game, but is expected to be fit for the visit of the managerless Black Cats to the Riverside Stadium.
George Friend, who replaced Fabio at the KCOM Stadium, will be standing by in case he does not make it as Boro go in search of a third successive league win.
Monk's only absentee is striker Rudy Gestede, who is back in training, but not yet ready to return from a troublesome thigh injury.
Sunderland will arrive on Teesside with caretakers Billy McKinlay and Robbie Stockdale, a former Boro player, in charge following Simon Grayson's midweek departure.
They will do so without a Championship victory in 13 attempts since they won 3-1 at Norwich on August 13, although having drawn four of their last five games.
McKinlay and Stockdale will have only defender Tyias Browning missing as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Midfielder Paddy McNair, who scored a late equaliser in Tuesday night's 3-3 draw with Bolton, has appeared as a substitute in the last two games following an 11-month lay-off with knee-ligament damage and will hope for a first start since November 19 last year.
Source: PAR
