Mowbray, who became Boro manager in late-October following Gordon Strachan's dismissal, has been rotating strikers Leroy Lita, Kris Boyd and McDonald in the starting side since his arrival.

McDonald, who scored in Boro's 2-2 draw with Hull City on the weekend, told BBC Tees he is content to prove his worth and battle for a regular starting spot.

"It's the way it is when you have a new manager who has new ideas and different ways of playing," McDonald said.

"You've just got to bite your lip and get on with it, you keep working hard and see what comes of it.

"And if you get in the team, you look to score goals and show the manager you're worth your place and hopefully that was the case today."

McDonald's Middlesbrough are currently second-last in the Championship but the Aussie sent a message to the club's fans stating he believes they can turn it around.

"Just keep believing, because we are," McDonald said. "If you don't put in the work you don't get the rewards, so we've got to keep working hard and hopefully it'll turn."

He added: "At this stage we're at the bottom of the table for a reason, because we've not done things as we should have, and as we should have liked.

"But we all have to man up and take that responsibility and keep fighting on, there's plenty of points to play for, we'll look to the next game now and go to Coventry looking to pick up our second away win of the season."

Middlesbrough face sixth-placed Coventry at Ricoh Arena on Saturday.