As the regular season reaches its thrilling climax, Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson is keeping his cool amid speculation that Saturday's visitors, Middlesbrough, might field a weakened side at the Stok Cae Ras (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Boro's faint hopes of snatching second place and automatic promotion were given a lifeline on Tuesday night when Southampton held Ipswich Town to a 2-2 draw. To leapfrog into the top two, Kim Hellberg's side must beat the Red Dragons and then hope Ipswich slip up against Queens Park Rangers, while Millwall fail to overcome already-relegated Oxford United on the final day.

However, Opta's data gives Middlesbrough just a 2.2% chance of achieving that unlikely sequence. With a play-off spot already secured, some pundits have suggested Hellberg might rotate his squad to keep key players fresh for the postseason battle ahead.

Parkinson, however, is unfazed by the narrative. "They're a good side, like any team that's up there at this stage," he said. "Similar to when we played them back in October, even though it was a different manager. They've got some key players and have had some mixed results in their last 10 games, particularly defeats at home. But the dream's still alive for them—they need other results to go their way."

The Wrexham boss dismissed any concern about Middlesbrough's potential team selection. "People have been talking a lot about whether Ipswich winning would mean Middlesbrough play a weakened team. That doesn't bother me, to be honest. You can't predict the mindset of the opposition, the manager, or the team on the day. We've just got to focus on ourselves—and we have done this week. We'll be ready."

Middlesbrough arrive in north Wales on the back of consecutive wins against bottom side Sheffield Wednesday and Watford, though those victories followed a seven-game winless run. With everything still to play for, Saturday's clash promises to be a gripping encounter as Wrexham look to spoil Boro's mathematical dreams and finish their own season on a high.