TONY PULIS will continue to ring the changes when Middlesbrough resume their Carabao Cup campaign at Preston tonight, despite his side being just four wins away from an appearance at Wembley.

Having seen off Notts County and Rochdale in the opening two rounds of the competition, Boro head to Deepdale to take on a Preston side that are rooted to the foot of the Championship table after picking up just one point from their last six league games.

The last-16 beckons, but after making wholesale changes for Boro’s League Cup matches so far, Pulis is not about to change his approach.

The Boro boss confirmed his intention to shuffle his pack in the wake of Saturday’s goalless draw with Swansea City, and after bemoaning the workload that is being demanded of his players, could change his entire starting line-up for this evening’s third-round game.

Andy Lonergan is expected to replace Darren Randolph in goal, and Pulis will hand a starting spot to a number of fringe performers who have played peripheral roles in the league this season.

Dael Fry will return to the heart of the back four after sitting out the last two Championship matches, while loan signing Sam McQueen is set to make his first Middlesbrough start at left-back.

Grant Leadbitter and Paddy McNair will feature in midfield, with Ashley Fletcher expected to line up in attack, having scored two goals in the first-round win over Notts County. There could also be a starting spot for Rudy Gestede, who continues to work his way back to full fitness after a lengthy lay-off because of ankle problems.

Boro’s starting side will be supplemented by a clutch of academy products, with Nathan Wood, Marcus Tavernier, Stephen Walker and Harry Chapman all set to feature in the squad.

Preston boss Alex Neil is anticipating a much-changed Boro team, but claims the side Pulis selects tonight will still be the envy of most Championship clubs.

“If Boro do make changes, their second team is a first-string Championship side,” said Neil. “We are not quite sure how Middlesbrough will line up or what their personnel will be, but we will prep and focus on ourselves and get ourselves ready to go.

“The options are where they are as a club – they have been in the Premier League, they have got a lot of cash and an experienced squad, and I would expect if they do make changes that it will be guys like Jordan Hugill, Ashley Fletcher and Grant Leadbitter who come in, so they have got a cast amount of experience at this level and have good players. But we have to make sure we go and do what we can do as well.”

Boro head into tonight’s third-round tie having conceded just two goals in their last seven matches in all competitions, but Saturday’s stalemate with Swansea means they have only scored in one of their last four league games.

Their record has been described as ‘classic Tony Pulis’, but Neil feels such comments are unnecessarily dismissive of the Middlesbrough manager’s strengths.

“I think at times it is a bit unfair, the criticism (Pulis’) teams get,” said the Preston boss. “I’ve seen them a couple of times this year and they’ve played very well.

Middlesbrough (probable, 4-3-3): Lonergan; Shotton, Fry, Wood, McQueen; McNair, Leadbitter, Besic; Fletcher, Gestede, Tavernier.