Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has increasingly impressed with the form of 22-year old defender-cum-midfielder Matthew Bates.

Southgate has been able to play the natural defender as a midfielder but may need to drop him back to defence for the weekend's clash with Portsmouth.

"Matthew is an intelligent footballer and he reads the game well," he said.

"He is more comfortable in possession than a lot of defenders in terms of receiving the ball.

"There's a lot to work on and it is very early stages but, certainly, it gives you somebody with a bit more of a defensive mind in there, and that gives a player like Julio Arca a bit more freedom to attack."