Middlesbrough’s potential January transfer business will be determined by a domino effect, as the club takes an open-minded approach to the transfer window.

Opening tomorrow and lasting until February 3, Boro will have the opportunity, should they see fit, to strengthen their squad with new additions. However, they aren’t in a position of desperation as things stand, with Michael Carrick happy with his options in all areas of the pitch, and Boro’s current squad at its maximum in accordance with the EFL’s 25-man squad rules.

It means, with the exception of under-21 players signed permanently, Boro will effectively have to operate a one in, one out policy in January. They won’t want to de-register a player for the rest of the season and still pay them a wage when they can’t play unless it’s a scenario like Alex Bangura - left out of the squad due to long-term injury rather than selection. They already have that with Matthew Hoppe this season, and will not want to add unnecessarily to their wage bill.

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Instead, Boro go into the window open-minded as to any opportunities that might crop up for them, and will have means to be creative with their squad should anything materialise that they feel can’t be passed up on. On top of that, they go in feeling well-prepared should anything out of their control - like an expected long-term injury or a huge offer for a star too good to turn down - crop up.

Asked about transfers in his final sit down with the media before the window opens, Michael Carrick reiterated: “Honestly, we’ll have to see. Our eyes are open going into January, trying to improve the group. We’ll have to see what gets thrown up, but there’ll certainly be things that we’ll try to do. Whether it all comes off or not, it’s very difficult to know that at this time of year. But that’s really where we’re at. There’s not really much more I can say, other than that we’ll be trying to improve in one or two areas.

“It’s difficult to plan because things can change. Of course, you go into January with a plan, but it can change pretty quickly. Injuries are obviously a factor, and they can influence your thinking. Then there are some things we maybe expect to pop up, but there could be things happen that we don’t envisage. It can pop up out of nowhere, then you’ve got to do deal with it and work on your feet. It’s a case of constantly adjusting, to be honest. But whatever happens, we’ve got to come out of it stronger than when we went in.”

Boro are braced to receive offers for star striker Emmanuel Latte Lath this winter, though any offer would have to considerably compensate them to be considered. That point is even more emphasised after Tommy Conway picked up a hamstring injury on Boxing Day.

The goalkeeper situation has taken on a fresh focus too after Sol Brynn was ruled out for around three months with a shoulder injury. Prior to that, there was some doubt over Seny Dieng’s future when the Senegal international lost his place in the team. Himself out injured with a hip issue, it remains to be seen how that situation plays out in the weeks ahead.

Beyond that, there are fringe players at Boro who could potentially be moved on if the right replacements became available in a manner that was financially viable to Boro after a summer of a lot of outlay without any incoming transfer funds beyond bonus payments received for Morgan Rogers. It’s a window that has the potential to be very quiet indeed, but, just as easily could end up being an active one, depending on a number of factors, not all of which are in Boro’s control.