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Middlesbrough FC head coach Aitor Karanka is set to run the rule over some of the club’s Academy starlets again this summer.

The Boro boss used his last pre-season as an opportunity to gauge which of the club’s young crop had the potential to push towards the first-team.

Dael Fry excelled - and even started the first Championship match of the season at Preston after impressing Karanka and assistant Steve Agnew.

Midfielder Lewis Maloney was on the bench for Boro at Wolves in October after a promising summer, while defender Adam Jackson - who later agreed a loan move to Hartlepool - was on the bench at Manchester United during the Capital One Cup penalty shootout victory.

All three will be looking to impress in pre-season again ahead of Boro’s return to the Premier League, but who else could be given a chance in some of the friendlies? Here’s seven who will be trying to catch Karanka’s eye.

Connor Ripley

The strapping stopper has already made noises about forcing his way into Boro’s first-team set-up, following a productive loan spell at Scottish side Motherwell last season.

Ripley was a regular on the Boro first-team bench towards the end of the 2014/15 season, jumping ahead of Tomas Mejias in the pecking order.

He’ll return south of the border this summer and eye an opportunity to stake his claim, with Michael Agazzi having returned to AC Milan and with Boro’s long-term goalkeeping options still up in the air.

Son of former Boro winger Stuart Ripley, Connor, 23, will be hoping to get some game-time in pre-season and battle it out with Dimi Konstantopoulos for the No 1 jersey.

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Bradley Halliday

The 20-year-old right-back has returned from a fruitful loan spell at League One side Accrington Stanley, and is one who will be looking to force his way into Karanka’s thoughts.

With Damia Abella, Rhys Williams and Jonathan Woodgate having all left the club, and Tomas Kalas returning to Chelsea , defence is perhaps one area where Boro may blood a couple of youngsters during pre-season.

Halliday - named York City’s Young Player of the Year during the 2014/15 campaign - signed a new one-year Boro extension in January 2015 and has spent the last 18 months out on loan.

The Redcar-born defender, who can play at both right-back and centre-back, joined Boro from college after initially missing out on an Academy scholarship.

Jonny Burn

The Boro Under-21 captain was among a handful of players invited to travel to Marbella last summer for the first-team’s warm weather training camp.

And the physically-imposing centre-back impressed on the whole, with his pre-season form earning him a loan move to League One side Oldham Athletic for the first half of the campaign.

Injury cut short his time at the Latics, and the 20-year-old spent the remainder of the season with the Under-21s.

The Darlington-born defender will look at the rise of fellow defender Fry this season and hope to follow suit in time - but it won't be this season. Burn has since clinched a loan move to SPL side Kilmarnock.

Robbie Tinkler

Born and raised in Trimdon, County Durham, the versatile midfielder has been at Boro’s Academy since the age of 13.

He captained the Under-21s for a long spell of this season, and proved himself as a strong midfield battler who was equally capable in attack and defence.

The 19-year-old was given a 45-minute cameo when Boro recently beat Sunderland in a behind-closed-doors friendly , replacing Adam Clayton at half-time.

After a solid campaign, Tinkler may be given a chance to impress in the upcoming friendlies.

Bryn Morris

Almost a forgotten figure at Boro, having made his first-team debut at the age of 16 in Boro’s FA Cup win over Hastings United in January 2013.

Back then, he was considered one of England’s hottest prospects - and became a regular for both Boro’s Under-21s and England’s Under-19s.

He’s since become a mainstay in the England Under-20 squad, and impressed on loan at Burton Albion in 2014/15 , working under ex-Boro striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

However, his progress has been badly hindered of late with a string of injury setbacks. A loan spell at Walsall this season didn’t work out the way he’d hoped, and he’ll be hoping to return to pre-season with a point to prove to Karanka.

Harry Chapman

A double Wembley winner while on loan at Barnsley this season, highly-rated winger Harry Chapman is a year older and a year wiser to the demands of first-team football.

The talented teenager was given a brief cameo for the first-team away at York City in last pre-season, but has since developed into one of the most exciting talents that the Academy has produced in many years.

The 18-year-old will be in-demand from some Football League clubs looking to tie up a loan deal, but expect Karanka and Agnew to have a good look at the tricky winger first.

His sensational solo goal for Boro’s Under-19s against Torino this season didn’t go unnoticed, as he was crowned Barclays Premier League Under-21 Player of the Month for November.

Bradley Fewster

Another who is desperate for a first-team chance, after a good loan spell at York City last time out.

The 20-year-old striker scored eight goals in 24 appearances for the Minstermen , but couldn’t save them from League Two relegation.

The Academy starlet featured heavily last pre-season, and scored Boro’s friendly winner at York City with a smart finish.

He’s now back on Teesside and will be hoping to push David Nugent and Jordan Rhodes for a striking berth - but will Karanka fancy the former England Under-19 international in the top-flight?

“I’ll just work hard in pre-season and try to score goals, then see where that leads me,” Fewster recently told the York Press.

“If it means another season on loan, that’s what I will have to do and I’ll see what my options are.”