DAVID Wheater has been at Middlesbrough’s Rockliffe Park training ground this week building up his fitness ahead of the start of pre-season training next Monday.

Wheater is ahead of schedule after undergoing surgery to repair damaged knee cartilage in May.

The influential centre-half will be eased into Boro’s preseason sessions at the start of next week, and it is hoped he will feature in some of the club’s summer games. Boro start their friendly programme at Dumbarton on Wednesday, July 22, before travelling south for a game at Carlisle United three days later.

Afonso Alves has also been building up his fitness following surgery to repair a broken foot at the end of last season, and the Brazilian, who continues to attract interest from Benfica, is due to rejoin the rest of his teammates, who will include Egyptian misfit Mido, at training on Monday.

Wheater has been the subject of considerable interest this summer, but with Boro boss Gareth Southgate determined to keep him at the Riverside, and the 22-year-old displaying no desire to leave Teesside, he now looks almost certain to start next season in a Middlesbrough strip.

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has already abandoned attempts to sign the former England Under-21 international, and while Liverpool have also been linked with Wheater’s services this summer, he is likely to form the bedrock of Boro’s defence in the Championship.

Whether Robert Huth and Emanuel Pogatetz are alongside him, however, remains to be seen, with both players attracting interest from abroad.

Tuncay Sanli and Stewart Downing also look likely to leave Teesside before the transfer window closes, with the former destined for a return to Turkey and the latter continuing to attract interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

Downing’s summer foot surgery has complicated matters, but with the winger having outlined his desire to leave when he submitted a transfer request in January that was ultimately rejected, both parties still expect a deal to be done.

Downing will be sidelined until mid-to-late September at the earliest, but it is thought that a deal could be arranged which would be dependent on him passing a medical at a later date.

■ Middlesbrough will play Millwall at the New Den on Saturday, August 1 (ko 3pm).