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Southgate's fighting talk
Middlesbrough, 13:16, October 17, 2008 ,
Gareth Southgate has told his Boro players to 'have a go' at Chelsea on Saturday despite Robert Huth and Emanuel Pogatetz's absence.
The Middlesbrough boss has a number of injury and suspension problems going into the game against Luiz Felipe Scolari's unbeaten Blues at the Riverside for the lunch-time encounter, but he feels his available players can give them a real run for their money.
Huth is sidelined for a month with an ankle injury, while skipper Pogatetz serves the final match of a three-game ban. Therefore Chris Riggott will again line up alongside David Wheater in central defence after they kept a first clean sheet of the season in the 1-0 win at Wigan last time out.
Striker Mido is a big doubt with a groin injury picked up while on international duty with Egypt, while Tuncay Sanli could return following a month out with a knee injury, although he might have to settle for a place on the bench.
Meanwhile Southgate wants his players to get amongst the Chelsea players as Boro look to end the Londoners unbeaten Premier League run which stretches back to last December.
He told the Evening Gazette: "There's no point us going into the game trying to be something we are not.
"In the game against Tottenham we were very disciplined, defended well and we created some good chances.
"That's the kind of performance which we need to try to reproduce if we want to get something from the game against Chelsea.
"We have to be on top of our game but we have to have a go."
He added: "Chelsea have some squad, and they are better at keeping the ball than any of the sides we have faced so far. I am sure that a lot of people won't give us a chance, but we mustn't allow the game to hold any fears for us.
"And we must remember that Arsenal were unbeaten when they came here last season and we managed to overcome them."