Middlesbrough defender Andrew Taylor has never been on the losing side against Sunderland and is likely a start a game which will see the winners virtually safe from relegation.

Both sides lie five points above the drop zone going into the final three games of the season, with only Boro's marginally better goal difference keeping them above their rivals.

Standing in Boro's way will be Sunderland midfielder Leadbitter – a player Taylor knows well from the England U18 and U21 setup.

Leadbitter was an unused substitute in Sunderland's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle last weekend and Taylor admits he has been taken aback that his international team-mate has only started 17 games this season.

Taylor said: "Grant is a nice lad and a really good footballer and I must admit I have been a bit surprised to see he has not been playing more regularly.

"On the ball, he is one of the best players around.

"I think the Newcastle, Sunderland derby is the big one and they don't get much bigger than that, but for our fans this is just as big and the local players definitely know how much it means."

He added: "I think the winner is guaranteed to be in the Premier League next year.

"Even iff either of us lose every game until the end of the season, I think we will both be safe because there are enough points on the board, but you never know.

"You always want to make it mathematically impossible as early as possible.

"The derbies are always tight games and there is definitely a bit more to play for coming to this stage of the season."

Taylor's was in the Boro side which drew against Sunderland earlier in the campaign and also played in the last fixture between the sides at the Stadium of Light – a game which saw Steve McClaren's teams run out 3-0 winners.

Both Roy Keane and Gareth Southgate will be looking for a reaction from last weekend's defeats, with Boro helping neither side's relegation worries after losing 1-0 at home to third bottom Bolton.

Taylor said: "We will both be looking to bounce back from disappointing results last weekend, although Sunderland probably had a more disappointing one in their eyes.

"We were very disappointed against Bolton because it was a game we should have won. We battered them in the first-half and should have been three or four up.

"They came out strongly in the second half, got their goal and defended it well."