TONY MOWBRAY is ready to turn to the players who can have a positive impact on next season for Middlesbrough's final two matches of a Championship campaign to forget.

Both Curtis Main and Adam Reach are set to start against Charlton this afternoon in Boro's final home match ahead of the club's three loan signings departing.

Josh McEachran, Sammy Ameobi and Ishmael Miller could all be involved from the bench, but with returns to parent clubs Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest imminent, Mowbray is likely to have players in mind who will be around in August.

Players could also be sold if the right offers come along, although the Middlesbrough manager is keen to focus on strengthening a squad, rather than weakening a pool of players set to lose loan men and free agents.

"We have not had any calls from anybody about anybody," insisted Mowbray. "It's hypothetical to talk about our players leaving. I want a mentality of 'we are going to get to the Premier League'. We will have to be creative to do it, but you have to try to build and keep going, make us stronger."

Mowbray is realistic. While hoping to keep hold of his best players, he knows that without an injection of cash from a sale he is likely to find himself signing free agents.

He accepts that but still believes promotion can be achieved, provided he can bring in the right mix of new players to compliment the existing ones.

Mowbray said: "We have to be optimistic. It is only about chemistry. Look at our games this season. Could we have won another three, four or five games? Undoubtedly.

"How we didn't beat Birmingham away - we could have won, should have won, didn't, but could have. We could easily have had as many points as you want to stick on there, of course you can.

"When you get to the Premier League, the whole complex of your club changes. We just have to be competitive next season and I'm sure we will be.

"What makes the difference in tight games is the centre-forward who scores a goal, nicks a goal, sniffs a goal. At the other end you need warriors to keep the ball out of the net. Invariably they are there, somewhere, we need to find them."

After today's visit of Charlton, Mowbray is heading abroad on a scouting mission to examine the credentials of a possible signing. Despite focusing on the summer, he is keen to end the campaign well with wins over the Addicks and Sheffield Wednesday next Saturday.

He said: "We always want to win every game. We have not finished the season well. To try to win your last games are important because it offers hope to supporters that there is some scope for a good season next time around with the right recruitment.

"It's frustrating, disappointing, but now we have to try to finish well. If we don't we will have to brush ourselves down in the summer, add greater quality and try to do better next year.

"The reason I came here was to try to get this club in the Premier League. We are at a point now where we want to move on, look forward, try to compete to try to get out of the league.

"If you finish in the top six you have a chance and we will try to put a team together in the summer and get some players capable of helping us achieve our aims. This season we came up short, next season is a different challenge, a different team and we need to go again.

"Mustapha Carayol and Emmanuel Ledesma will be stronger next season. Those little margins make a difference. Can we sustain it for longer next year? Why not.

"McDonald is here next year, can he score 20-odd goals? He might do if he keeps his head right and plays in 40-odd games. Let's wait and see."