Michael Carrick could hand debuts to three players as Middlesbrough host Sunderland in the Tees-Wear derby on Monday evening.

While the club push through loan deals for Samuel Iling-Junior and Kelechi Iheanacho, neither were done in time for the pair to play any part on Monday evening. Instead, as well as welcoming George Edmundson back to the squad, Mark Travers and Morgan Whittaker will be in line for their debuts, while Ryan Giles will hope to make his first start since returning on loan from Hull City.

Boro won’t have Emmanuel Latte Lath as he moves nearer to a record £22.5m move to Atlanta United. In one injury boost though, Tommy Conway has been in training and could return to the squad. With all that in mind, here’s our predicted Boro team for Sunderland.

READ MORE: Middlesbrough transfer news LIVE updates as Boro close to Iling-Junior & Iheanacho loans

GK - Mark Travers - With a full week to train with his new team-mates, there appears no reason why the Ireland international won’t be straight into the side. He’s quite a coup signing for the club, having secured the loan from Bournemouth, so it’s expected he’ll go straight in ahead of Tom Glover.

DR - Luke Ayling - Anfernee Dijksteel remains out injured regardless of if he ends up leaving the club before the transfer deadline or not. Ayling will no doubt be keen to make amends after last weekend’s error and he has the experience to handle a game of this magnitude.

DC - Dael Fry - After nine months out, Fry has returned in fine form and that has allowed Boro to let Matt Clarke leave the club this month. It’s somewhat of a risk though, with only three senior centre-backs now at the club.

DC - Rav van den Berg - Another of the three centre-backs Boro now have is Van den Berg, who, it’s fair to say, has struggled to match the same highs he enjoyed last season - largely, it should be said, because of injuries. He’s shown when fit he’s still a classy young defender though, and should remain in the side ahead of Edmundson.

DL - Ryan Giles - Having come off the bench at Preston, it seems likely that Giles will make his first start for Boro since rejoining 18 months after his initial loan came to an end. He’s highly motivated to return and prove himself after a difficult period since.

CM - Aidan Morris - Boro would like to add another central midfielder this month, largely thanks to the appreciation of how important Aidan Morris is. Time is running out after they missed out on Glen Kamara, and that could put a lot of pressure on Morris to continue performing at the top level he has all season when fit.

CM - Hayden Hackney - The subject of a rejected offer from Porto this week, Boro made clear that Hackney remained an important player who would not be leaving. His form has been inconsistent this season, but he knows how much this fixture means.

RW - Ben Doak - The Liverpool loanee has new competition in the form of Whittaker. However, he’s been a star performer for Boro this season and there are means of getting Whittaker in the side without displacing Doak.

AM - Morgan Whittaker - Though predominantly a right winger, Whittaker can also play comfortably at ten. A player with great technical ability and the quality to unlock a defence with a moment of magic, it’s easy to see why Boro wanted him.

LW - Finn Azaz - Starting in that left-sided roaming forward role wouldn’t be a first for Azaz, though it’s fair to say he’s never quite excelled as much in it. Having received a lot of attention in recent weeks though, the switch could help him break free from the shackles, while the introduction of old pal Whittaker could help too.

ST - Delano Burgzorg - Conway is expected to be back on the bench but seems unlikely to be fit enough to start. Iheanacho won’t be registered in time to play either, which means whether it’s Marcus Forss or Burgzorg who gets the nod, it’s far from ideal. Of the two options, Burgzorg is in better form in general, and so it makes sense he gets the nod.