BOLO Zenden is having to change his game in the absence of George Boateng but the Middlesbrough midfielder is desperate to keep his current scoring streak going.

With fellow Dutchman Boateng nursing a broken toe, Zenden has been forced to curb some of his more attacking instincts to boost the solidity of the Boro midfield.

Regular forward bursts have been replaced by a far more measured approach, but last weekend's opener against Everton still made it six goals for the season.

The 28-year-old scored just seven in the whole of the last campaign and, while he admits Boateng's absence is hampering his natural game, he remains confident of bettering that tally in the next five months.

"George is a player who normally plays every single game for us," said Zenden, who was at the heart of last weekend's melee that has resulted in both Boro and Everton being charged by the FA. "It's a big blow to be without him.

"He plays the central role in our midfield and he's the heartbeat of the team when he's in there.

"I've got a very good understanding with George - both on and off the field - because I've known him for that long.

"Being without George is a blow for the team and for me personally. When George is playing, it makes it easier for me to get forward and get in the box.

"But I'm still an attacking player and a player that likes to go forward. I'm very pleased to have scored six goals. I try to get into the box and I try to support the striker, whoever it might be."

Last weekend's draw with Everton did little to help Boro's hopes of clinching the fourth Champions League spot.

David Moyes' side remain eight points ahead of the Teessiders, with Liverpool also a point clear of them in fifth.

With 15 games to go, Everton have their destiny in their own hands. But, while Zenden admits they will have to slip up to give Boro any chance, he is confident his own side can make up ground after getting some of their hardest games out of the way.

"We're obviously relying on Everton slipping up," he said. "If they don't, there's no way to catch them.

"They're eight points ahead of us, but we can't affect that. We can only focus on Middlesbrough and making sure we do our job properly to win games.

"There's still a long way to go and we're still aiming to finish in the top six. That would be a reasonable position for us but, the longer the season goes on, the closer we could get to that fourth spot.

"You can't be thinking about what other teams do - you've got to make sure you get the points yourself.

"We knew we had a tough period around Christmas. We had a lot of difficult games - Man U, Chelsea, Everton - and we had a lot of injured players, which didn't help.

"But now we are getting into some calmer waters. Hopefully we'll be getting some players back from injury and this is the time when we need to start picking up points.

"Going away to Norwich is not going to be easy. But the games that we've got coming up are definitely ones that we want to be winning."

Zenden only signed a one-year deal when he committed himself to the Riverside in the summer and, while Mark Schwarzer and Tony McMahon have been involved in high-profile talks this month, his future is yet to be discussed.

"I haven't talked about anything yet," he said. "I'm just trying to do well for Middlesbrough and trying to make sure we get back into Europe next year.

"European football could be a factor. I've always said I want to play at the highest level, and that means the Champions League or the UEFA Cup.

"Playing in Europe is important to me but I'm sure it's important to every player at the club. That was the reason why a lot of players wanted to join Middlesbrough in the summer.