Good players should be able to handle the battered Bloomfield Road playing surface, according to Blackpool boss Lee Clark.
Boro face the Tangerines tomorrow night and are ready to sample a pitch that has attracted plenty of unwelcome attention in recent weeks.
The bumpy, worn surface has received widespread criticism - but Blackpool appear to be thriving under those conditions, having lost only one of their last six matches on home soil.
The Blackpool team have been training on the pitch to get used to the surface, and that has benefited the team in recent weeks with both Brighton and Millwall struggling to adapt.
Clark’s men could notch a third straight home victory if they can overcome in-form Boro - but Karanka's men have plenty of motivation knowing that a win could take them top of the Championship, with Bournemouth entertaining Derby County.
When asked if the conditions could hinder Boro’s free-flowing attacking play, Clark shrugged off the pitch’s importance.
“I don’t know if (the pitch) will get into their mind but I know good players can handle any surface", Clark told the club's website.
Action Images / Paul Burrows 
Blackpool manager Lee Clark
“It’s about how our players are and I know from past experience that we have a different mindset at home, certainly in the last few weeks.
“These four or five days are crucial to our season so we can only focus and be positive about what we’ve done at home in the past few weeks.”
Boro boss Aitor Karanka admitted the Bloomfield Road pitch could cause his side problems - but does not want his side to use it as an easy excuse.
“Everyone thinks it will be easy because Blackpool are bottom of the table, but it will be difficult as the pitch is not good.
“But I don’t want to say afterwards that we’ve lost points or lost the game because of the pitch.
“I don’t like excuses and it will be a difficult game.”
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