Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder has given an update on the injury progress of three first-team players, in an interview with The Northern Echo.
Middlesbrough travel to Millwall tomorrow afternoon and will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 4-1 defeat at Sheffield United last time out.
The game at Bramall Lane saw Boro line up without their regular centre-back Anfernee Dijksteel, who missed out through illness.
Midfielder Riley McGree also sat out the trip to Sheffield United with a calf injury and has missed the last three games.
Martin Payero has also been out for the last four weeks after being stretchered off against QPR last month.
Boro boss Chris Wilder has now given an update on the trio ahead of the clash with fellow play-off chasers Millwall tomorrow.
“Anfernee Dijksteel, who missed out on Tuesday, will be good. He missed out through illness,” said Wilder.
“Riley McGree will miss the game. There was a little bit of a complication regarding his injury so he is not available and he won’t travel but apart from that, we’ve got everybody available to travel down to London.
“He won’t be available until after the international break, which is obviously really disappointing. It’s something a little deeper, but he will be okay.
“We’ll possibly get him fit for Australia, which is great. He should be back for the Peterborough.”
This is certainly positive news in regards to Dijksteel, who will likely come in for Lee Peltier this weekend. But this is another setback for Riley McGree, who has had an intermittent start to his Middlesbrough career since arriving from Charlotte FC in January.
Martin Payero has missed the last six league games but Wilder believes he will feature before the end of the campaign.
“Because he didn’t have an op it really is a week by week situation. He’s working really hard towards that and I’m sure he will be back before the end of the season which is good,” said the Boro boss.
The absence of Payero and McGree means that Wilder doesn’t have the options to rotate in midfield if needed.
The lack of football for James Lea Siliki was desperately apparent when thrown into the midfield three at Barnsley, as he struggled with the tempo of the match and performed very poorly at Oakwell.
Elsewhere, winger Sammy Ameobi and defender Darnell Fisher are long-term absentees and are out for the season.
