ANDREW DAVIES is expected to complete a loan move to Queens Park Rangers this week.

The 20-year-old defender was poised for a move to Loftus Road before Christmas, but an injury crisis forced Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren to cancel the deal.

But with Chris Riggott and Ugo Ehiogu fully fit McClaren has agreed to let the stopper go out on loan as he now has enough cover at centre back.

Rangers' manager Ian Holloway had hoped to sign Matt Hill from Bristol City, but the defender opted to join Preston North End instead.

Holloway hopes to have the deal signed and sealed in time for Davies to make his debut in Friday night's Championship clash with Stoke City at Loftus Road.

Meanwhile, the date for Boro's UEFA Cup clash against AK Grazer in Austria has been confirmed as Thursday February 17.

Kick off will be at 8.45pm local time (7.45pm UK). The return leg will be on Thursday, February 24 (7.45pm kick-off).

The date of the home leg means the Teessiders Premiership clash against Charlton Athletic at the Riverside has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 27 (3pm).

The Austrian side are currently enjoying a mid-winter break which started in December, with the league resuming on February 20.

* Boro defender Seb Hines has been called up for the England U17 squad. Hines will be looking to add to his six caps after being named in the 18-man squad for a four-team tournament in the Algarve, Portugal.

England will be joined by hosts Portugal, France and Norway for the competition, which is being used as a warm up for the European U17 Championships in March.

Hines is in his first year at Boro's academy and has recently recovered from a broken arm, sustained in England's 5-0 victory over Slovenia in Ljubljana last October.

* Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has issued an ultimatum to Real Madrid over Fernando Morientes' as he prepares to send out his top stars in the Carling Cup semi-final tonight against Watford.

The Liverpool boss is losing patience with Madrid over the protracted £6m Morientes deal.

Benitez said: " I am sure that we can do the Morientes deal. He says he either wants to play for Liverpool or to stay at Madrid."