Michael Carrick has challenged his Middlesbrough players to change the narrative as dreadful form threatens to derail their promotion chances.

Middlesbrough have won just three games in their last 13. Defeat to Sunderland last Monday left them outside the Championship play-off places, with just 13 points claimed from the last 36 available.

Despite that, Boro ’s fate still lies in their own hands after Blackburn Rovers also slipped up last week against QPR. Automatic promotion has all but been ruled out completely by even Carrick, but as Boro prepare to return to action after an extended break following the derby defeat at Sheffield United on Wednesday evening, Carrick was defiant in terms of his belief that his side can turn things around.

READ MORE: Hayden Hackney's defiant Middlesbrough play-off message as he identifies key area for improvement

READ MORE: I've watched Middlesbrough closely and these are the areas we need improvement from

“It has to start now,” Carrick said. “There is still a lot to go on between now and the end of the season. Tonight is not a good night for us at all, for many reasons. The local rivalry, the type of game, where we are in the league… all sorts of different things.

“But it’s not going to tell the story of where we end up in the league. We’ve got to tell our own story between now and the end of the season. I think we’re in a good place to do that with the group we’ve got. We’ll get the new lads settled in for another big game coming up. That’s natural. They’re all big games at this stage of the season. We have to be ready for it.”

Carrick will be hoping that the extended period on the training pitches over the last seven days can prove to be a bit of a reset for his side. On top of that, Boro’s six new arrivals in January will have had extra time to integrate and get to know the system better, with new number nine Kelechi Iheanacho in line to debut at Bramall Lane - the scene of one Carrick’s best wins in charge of Boro.