Michael Carrick admits he's unlikely to rush any injured players back for Middlesbrough's FA Cup clash with Blackburn Rovers - likely saying a lot about his sentiment towards the cup game.

Boro host their Championship promotion rivals at the Riverside next weekend in the third round of the FA Cup. With priorities for both clubs in the Championship top-six race, it's a game that both could likely do without.

That's particularly the case for Boro, who are currently without nine first-team players due to injury. Though some are believed to be getting closer - Marcus Forss was back in training ahead of Hull on New Year's Day, while Aidan Morris and Luke Ayling were close to rejoining the group - Carrick's admission on risking them for that game likely says a lot.

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Asked if anyone was likely to be back, he said: “Not particularly. It depends how we see that game and whether it’s worth rushing anyone one back as a necessity when we’re planning for the rest of the season really. We’ll see how the week develops."

Boro know they will be without Sol Brynn until the end of March at the earliest, while Alex Bangura, Tommy Smith and Darragh Lenihan remain longer term injuries. Jonny Howson, Tommy Conway and Seny Dieng aren't as far off, though the former two face weeks rather than days out, while Dieng's hip flexor issue makes an exact timeframe difficult.

Asked for an update on Conway and Dieng specifically, Carrick said: "Tommy is alright, but he’s out for a number of weeks so certainly won’t be back. Seny is back doing some light training at the moment. He’s not yet back with the group, but he’s able to do some stuff as part of his rehab. We’ll see how the week develops."

While Carrick's stance on the injured players likely says a lot about his true feelings on the FA Cup and its importance to Boro right now, he insists nothing will change in terms of preparation and determination to win the game.

Asked if the cup game and the week-long gaps between that game and also the next league game away to Portsmouth in a fortnight offered a chance for a reset, Carrick said: “Not particularly. It is a different competition, of course. But the week will be the same. It doesn’t really change the mindset."