Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo has pledged to field his strongest team against Middlesbrough and challenged his promotion heroes to re-write the club’s record books.

The head coach has ordered his already-promoted side not to ease up in their final three games of the season, starting with tomorrow’s televised clash with Boro.

And the Italian is eying another piece of history, with his side just four points short of a new club record for points in a season.

The current record is 89 points, set in 2002 when the Baggies pipped Black Country rivals Wolves to promotion under Gary Megson.

Di Matteo said: “We won’t just play the youth team. We will play the strongest team possible and try our best to win the next game.

“Two out of the three are home games and we want to do well in front of our fans to finish in a positive manner. It’s not hard to motivate yourself because as a real, true professional, you still want to win.

“If you have a competitive edge you never lose that. It’s not going to change the outcome of our season, but we can still break a club record for points and keep our nice run going.

“Some of the players will also be playing for next year as well. I’m not sure if the points target is important to me personally, but it’s a goal and something to aim for.

“There are a lot of reasons why we want to do well. It won’t be easy but we talked about it and hopefully the boys have received the message, so they know that we still have to be professional in these three games and try our best.

“I think there is going to be a party atmosphere, but we still have a game to play and it’s a league game.

“We still have two of our three games at home and we would really like to win those games and finish with as many points as possible.

“But I understand that Middlesbrough are still looking for a play-off place, so it will be a tough game.

“It would be great to keep the run going but also to finish with as many points as possible.

“The achievement has been fantastic with three games to go and it’s something I’m really pleased with, so we can enjoy the next three games.”

Di Matteo returned to work on Tuesday after seeing his team clinch their promotion at Doncaster on Saturday.

But the Baggies boss has kept his celebrations low-key.

He said: “I had a nice meal and a nice Sunday with my family – it was lovely.

“I was still off on Monday, but started thinking about work again.”

The Hawthorns chief has admitted the prospect of managing Albion in the top flight next season has still not properly sunk in.

He said: “It probably hasn’t. I think once the new season starts I will realise. But it feels good to have actually succeeded this season. I have achieved the target and the goal.

“I have felt a little bit less under pressure this week.”

Di Matteo will lock horns tomorrow with a manager still under considerably more pressure when Boro check in at the Hawthorns.

Gordon Strachan’s men are facing a fight to reach the play-offs, as they look to emulate Albion and Newcastle in bouncing back to the Premier League a year after relegation.

They will be targeting revenge against an Albion side who beat them 5-0 at the Riverside Stadium in August, in one of their most memorable wins of the season.

Di Matteo said: “The manager and the team has changed quite a bit since then, but it was definitely one of our best performances this season away from home.

“I wouldn’t just pinpoint one result, because it’s such a long season that you need consistently.

“It maybe wasn’t the most important win because it was so early in the season, but it was definitely one of the highlights of this campaign.

“Also they have the play-offs as an aim and they can still make it so they will be up for it so we have to be ready for them.”

Di Matteo could recall James Morrison tomorrow, after the midfielder missed the promotion-clinching win at Doncaster with a hamstring injury.

Roman Bednar is also set to figure despite a hernia problem but Gianni Zuiverloon (thigh), Gonzalo Jara (foot) and Jerome Thomas (hamstring) will again miss out.

Di Matteo said: “Morrison should be back for this weekend. Zuiverloon, Jara and Thomas are still out and we’ll assess them on a daily basis.

“Roman won’t need his hernia operation before the end of the season.

“He has been training and is fine.”

On the other side Strachan is hoping Boro can find a compromise with Portsmouth over the £1million dispute threatening to rule midfielder Gary O’Neil out of the game.

O’Neil has played 99 games for Boro since moving from Fratton Park and an extra appearance would trigger a seven-figure payment, so Riverside Stadium officials have banned Strachan from picking the former Walsall loanee while they negotiate with administrators at the south coast club.

Strachan said: “We are still working hard to try to get Gary O’Neil on the pitch on Saturday. We are talking to Portsmouth every day to try to reach an agreement.

“We are a better team when he is in there, even though we have won the last two without him. Gary is training as normal, which is frustrating for him. This is a situation I have never really come across in my career.

“There is always something new as a football manager. We have to deal with it, but it is strange for Gary as well. He is one of the best players in the league and, in terms of focus, he is desperate to play.

“The circumstances are out of his hands and my hands, but we are working on something that can hopefully get him to play on Saturday.”