Mowbray puts strikeforce on stand-by

Neither Marvin Emnes nor Scott McDonald trained yesterday and manager Tony Mowbray has told the untried pairing of Bart Ogbeche and Alex Nimely to be on stand-by for their first Championship starts.

Emnes has been struggling to overcome a kick on the calf for the last ten days and had to be withdrawn early at Peterborough United on Saturday.

Boro's leading goalscorer was not the only absentee on the eve of second-placed West Ham's visit to the Riverside Stadium, with McDonald told to stay away from the club's Rockliffe Park headquarters.

The Australian front-man, who has scored three goals in his last three matches after a barren spell in front of goal, was struck by a virus and will be assessed today to see if he is well enough to play.

In the expected absence of the club's main strikers, Mowbray has urged Nimely and Ogbeche to be ready to make the most of their team-mates' misfortune.

"There was a sense in training that Alex and Bart had a spring in their step because Marvin wasn't there and Scott wasn't there," said Mowbray last night. "They were competing with each other and they both scored a lot of goals in training.

"Let's hope if they get a chance, they manage to reproduce their training ground form in the match.

"I have had to pull them in now and again and tell them they have to be patient until they get their chance. If that chance comes along to start a game they have to take that chance. That could be on Tuesday."

Nimely, an England Under-21 international, has made eight substitute appearances since his loan switch from Manchester City. His only start was in the Carling Cup defeat at Crystal Palace in September and he is yet to score.

Nigerian Ogbeche, 27, has played three times from the bench, remained among the substitutes for the draw at Peterborough on Saturday and Mowbray would prefer to give him more time to settle.

He will give Emnes and McDonald every chance to recover.

Cardiff's victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday lifted the Bluebirds above Boro into third. Five points separate the Teessiders from the second automatic promotion spot.

A defeat would only fuel the growing belief around the country that West Ham and Southampton are destined for the Premier League.

"For us the points scenario makes it a big game for us," said Mowbray, who also hopes Barry Robson can play with a long-standing thigh problem. "We are five points behind so a win takes us to within two points and a defeat means they are eight points ahead.

"If we lose the game it is not the end of the season, as there is a long way to go, but it will make it harder. It is West Ham, I hope it stirs the sinews of a few Boro fans who are at home debating on whether or not to come to the match and cheer us on.

"It will only be a victory if we can cope with their physicality and at times their directness."

While Mowbray has had to operate on a tighter budget following years of over-spending by his predecessors, he is well aware of the financial budget which West Ham have been working to.

"Any team that can replace John Carew with Carlton Cole in attack must have a decent squad," said the Boro boss. "Any team that finishes above West Ham will go up this season.

"I think I've watched them a lot lately and they find a way to win. They didn't get much of a kick against Brighton and won 1-0. West Ham couldn't get the ball and won. Against Coventry last week the goals were off the striker's shoulder."

Two draws in a row against Blackpool and Peterborough have led to Boro losing their grip of third place.

And Mowbray said: "In recent weeks I think we have shown there are fine margins in this league. Against Blackpool we should have been out of sight and against Peterborough it was a mis-match of a game, but we paid the price for not going two goals ahead.

"We paid for it heavily with an equaliser towards the end. I have to find the answer to finishing teams off."