Southgate hoping extended Aliadiere ban will bring Boro players together

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The former Arsenal striker started his four match ban last night, missing the fifth round replay win over Sheffield United which has set up a quarter-final meeting with Cardiff City and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - another game Aliadiere will miss after the FA rejected his appeal.

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Bad to worse: Aliadiere is sent off against Liverpool and his appeal saw his ban extended to four games

Boro chairman Steve Gibson branded the FA disciplinary committee 'perverse' and 'amateurs' after they extended Aliadiere's suspension to four games because they deemed the appeal against his red card for slapping Liverpool's Javier Mascherano as 'frivolous'.

The additional game means the Frenchman also misses a return to the Emirates Stadium but Southgate is determined to remain in the FA Cup to give Aliadiere a boost.

The Boro manager said: "I think it can work for us. As I've said to the players on numerous occasions this year, nobody outside of our club is going to help them.

"Over the last 18 months we've had it from the LMA, the FA and the Premier League. It makes you stronger and it can't hurt us because it comes from outside. It's annoying and upsetting for Jeremie in particular. I think that's an insult to be honest because I think anybody that's involved in the professional game, where livelihoods are dependent on it, there isn't one decision that's taken that's frivolous.

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Striking option: Southgate can call on Boro's big-money signing Afonso Alves in the absence of Aliadiere

"I thought that was insulting in the extreme, but we've lost the appeal and we just have to make sure we stay in this competition so that Jeremie gets the chance to play in it again. We also have to secure the league points we need.

"We've seen that the difference between the two divisions in the cup is minimal and we've had tough ties with Bristol City and Sheffield United, so we certainly won't be taking Cardiff lightly that's for sure.

"It's an opportunity for the players to get some reward from what's been a real slog at times. The key now though is putting ten points between ourselves and Reading on Saturday. That would be a huge boost."

Southgate is hoping Robert Huth will return from an ankle injury for Reading's visit to the Riverside on Saturday, while David Wheater is back from suspension and Mido and Afonso Alves will be given time to recover from their first start together against Sheffield United.