FA Cup clash: Boro manager bans shirt swap with Ronaldo

Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder has banned his players from swapping shirts with Cristiano Ronaldo and co. ahead of their FA Cup clash with Manchester United.

Boro head to Old Trafford on Friday night in the opening match of the FA Cup Fourth Round weekend intent on causing an upset.

Wilder has overseen resurgence at the Championship club since his November appointment, with his side claiming eight wins across his 12-match reign.

And ahead of Friday’s fixture, the Boro boss, who oversaw a Sheffield United win at the Theatre of Dreams last January, has called for his players to ditch any plans of swapping shirts with United’s star-studded squad and focus on the task at hand.

Speaking ahead of his side’s trip to Manchester, Wilder declared: “Their team sheet will come in the dressing room and it’ll be De Gea, Varane, and Harry Maguire… let’s not crumble in that process!

“They have some fabulous individuals that can hurt you, and hurt teams around Europe and the Premier League. An array of talent to choose from.

“If they want a shirt, do it in the changing rooms after. We don’t want to be looking at them all fuzzy eyed. They are up against a competitor.

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“I want them to play well. To give a good account of themselves and make it a competitive, dangerous night for Manchester United.

“If we play well, we can. If not, it will be a comfortable night for Manchester United. No one wants that, me included.”

The Championship play-off hopefuls will be cheered on by 9,000 of their own fans at Old Trafford and, while Boro are certainly the underdogs heading into the clash against their big-named Premier League opponents, Wilder played down talk of a giant-killing.