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Middlesbrough FC News: 'No pressure', says Aitor Karanka as he prepares for Crystal Palace test

Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka is eager to ease the pressure on his players as they prepare for a crucial meeting with relegation rivals Crystal Palace.

Palace head into the weekend second bottom in the Premier League, with Boro only three points and three places better off.

There is no masking the importance of the match to both camps but Karanka sees no value in intimidating the squad by repeatedly stressing the possible magnitude of the fixture.

"I don't want to put pressure on the players," he said. "I can't be here every day telling them how important, how massive this game is because they know.