Team News: Steven Defour back out for Burnley

Steven Defour misses out this afternoon for Burnley's trip to Middlesbrough.

The midfielder picked up an injury against Stoke City in midweek in a game that marked his first start in over two months and therefore finds himself out of the squad once more. Robbie Brady is handed a start in his place in one of two changes from Sean Dyche.

The second alteration comes up front as Ashley Barnes is preferred to Sam Vokes, who finds himself on the bench.

Second-from-bottom Middlesbrough, meanwhile, have made four changes to the side that fell victim to a 4-2 defeat to Hull City on Wednesday.

Bernardo Espinosa replaces James Husband in defence, while Grant Leadbitter and Adam Forshaw come into midfield at the expense of Adama Traore and Marten de Roon.

The Dutchman's fellow goalscorer against the Tigers, Alvaro Negredo, falls to the bench to be replaced by Cristhian Stuani alongside Rudy Gestede up front.

Gaston Ramirez, who was kept out of the match at the KCOM with an ankle injury, remains absent from the squad, as does concussion-stricken Fabio.

Middlesbrough: Valdes; Bernardo, Ayala, Gibson; Barragan, Downing, Clayton, Leadbitter, Forshaw; Gestede, Stuani Subs: Guzan, Fry, De Roon, Fischer, Traore, Bamford, Negredo

Burnley: Heaton; Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward; Boyd, Barton, Hendrick, Brady; Barnes, Gray Subs: Pope, Flanagan, Arfield, Vokes, Agyei, Westwood, Tarkowski