Middlesbrough’s defeat at the hands of Newport County on Tuesday night has left the squad light on numbers ahead of the Leeds United game at the Riverside this weekend.
Middlesbrough striker duo Jordan Hugill and Britt Assombalonga were both substituted in the second-half against Newport, and face a battle to be fit for Saturday’s game against Leeds. Equally, midfielders Lewis Wing and George Saville may also miss out through injury.
All four players played a key part in Boro coming from behind away at West Brom last weekend in their 3-2 win, with Saville and Assombalonga scoring the decisive goals.
Speaking in his post-match press conference after the defeat at Rodney Parade, manager Tony Pulis spoke about his fresh injury concerns.
“Britt was stiff in his groins at half-time,” he said.
“Jordan has got cramp, I’m hoping, rather than a strain but we won’t know until later in the week.
“Lewis (Wing) was desperate to play. I was actually going to play George Saville but he hurt his ankle so we left him out.”
Rudy Gestede and Ashley Fletcher were the men to replace Hugill and Assombalonga in the FA Cup fourth round replay, but Pulis will be hoping his first-choice pairing, or at least one of the two, will be fit the play on Saturday afternoon.
If Wing and Saville were to miss out the two players expected to deputise would be Jonny Howson and Adam Clayton, although Rajiv van La Parra could feature from the off after impressive cameos in his last two appearances.
