Anfernee Dijksteel and Riley McGree Middlesbrough injury updates as Aidan Morris makes return
Michael Carrick is hoping Anfernee Dijksteel and Riley McGree have just picked up slight niggles, with the pair to be assessed ahead of Tuesday night's clash with Tony Mowbray's West Brom.
The Boro duo were forced to miss Saturday's defeat to Portsmouth after picking up knocks in training. Dijksteel was particularly missed, with Luke Ayling returning to the squad for the game but not fit enough to start. It meant Rav van den berg was forced to play right-back, and he had a tough afternoon against the lively Josh Murphy.
Asked about the absentees after the defeat, Boro head coach Michael Carrick said: “Both Anf and Riley picked up what we hope will just be little niggles in training during the week. We’ll get back and assess them and see how they are over the next few days.”
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Though it was bad news on that front, Boro were able to welcome three players back to their squad from injury for the Fratton Park trip. As well as Ayling, Seny Dieng and Aidan Morris were also back on the bench, with Morris enjoying a 20-minute run out. The American was straight into the thick of it with a crunching tackle that was wildly cheered by the sold-out Boro away end.
A summer signing from MLS side Columbus Crew, Morris was in excellent form for Boro and quickly established himself as an important player before his knee injury while on international duty. It feels like a potentially important moment for Boro to have him.
“We manage to get Aidan, Luke and Seny back," Carrick continued. "They hadn’t had a lot of training, so we had to look after them a bit. But them being back around the group is a real positive. Aidan is an important player for us. He’s had a really good strong start for us.
"So of course, it’s really nice to have him back. Having said that, I thought Dan and Hayden played well, to be honest. A lot of our good work came through them winning second balls and managing positions. But, of course, to have Aidan back is a real plus.”
