Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson hopes to finally unveil Gordon Strachan as the club's new manager on Monday.

It emerged today that an expected announcement of Gareth Southgate's successor will not now come over the weekend.

However, sources on Teesside insist there is no hitch and that the delay is simply down to putting the finishing touches to the deal.

It is understood Strachan will not now watch Boro from the stands at Preston tomorrow, but his former Celtic number two Gary Pendry could.

But whatever is happening off the pitch, caretaker boss Colin Cooper, assisted by Steve Agnew and Stephen Pears, is concentrating only on what he and the players can affect on it.

Cooper said: "Who the next manager is has got nothing to do with me, Aggers and Pearsy. Our brief is to go to Preston and win hopefully.

"I spoke to the chairman yesterday and he explained what's expected of us.

"He expects us to get the team prepared and to get the emotional side away and go to Preston and get a positive result, nothing less."

Boro head for Deepdale sitting in fourth place in the Coca-Cola Championship, just a point adrift of leaders West Brom.

They travel on the back of a 2-0 home win over Derby - their first victory at the Riverside Stadium in four attempts - which was not enough to keep Southgate in a job.

Their form away from Teesside has been excellent - they have won at Swansea, Scunthorpe, Sheffield Wednesday and Reading and drawn at Coventry - and Cooper will hope that is a record they can build on.

The game will see on-loan Preston defender Sean St Ledger lining up against his parent club, who have given him permission to play.

However, Cooper has warned the Republic of Ireland international to leave the pleasantries until after the final whistle.

He said: "It will be difficult for him on Saturday. I remember my first game for Millwall, the way fixtures fell, was back at Ayresome Park.

"But he knows what his job is, it's to make sure the Preston strikers don't have a good afternoon.

"He can shake hands and hug and kiss whoever he wants at the final whistle, but hopefully with Middlesbrough coming back with three points."