Speaking to The Northern Echo after Middlesbrough drew 1-1 with Watford on Monday afternoon, manager Neil Warnock confirmed key midfielder Sam Morsy is set to miss the remainder of the season.
Middlesbrough managed to draw with automatic promotion hopefuls Watford on Easter Monday. Second-half substitute Yannick Bolasie scored a header to cancel out Ismaila Sarr’s opener.
Monday’s results mean Middlesbrough slip from ninth to tenth in the Championship table and are now nine points off Reading in sixth. However, if Bournemouth are to win their game in hand Boro would then be 11 points outside of the play-off places.
Neil Warnock has already said he believes the top six is now out of reach. But if they are to make a late push, then they will need to do it without midfielder Sam Morsy.
Morsy was replaced midway through the first-half with Hayden Coulson taking his place. Nathaniel Chalobah’s forceful challenge saw him brandished a yellow card and Morsy leave the field.
“Sam’s out for the season now,” confirmed Warnock after the game.
“He’s done his medial ligaments. We don’t know quite how bad yet, but he’s out for the season. We have blow after blow on the injuries – that’s four proper first-team players out now.”
Morsy joins Anfernee Dijksteel and Marcus Browne as long-term injuries with the trio set to miss the remainder of the campaign. Marcus Tavernier and Dael Fry are the other players currently out nursing injuries, although they should return to the first-team fold shortly.
“Apparently, if Sam hadn’t gone in for it like he did, his injury would have been a lot worse. If he’d gone in sloppy, it would have destroyed his ligaments, so he’s got away with it but he’s still going to be out for a few months.”
Middlesbrough take on Barnsley at Oakwell on Saturday where they will be hoping to bridge the gap between them and the top six. It will be likely Jonny Howson, George Saville and Paddy McNair will look to start in the middle of the park, although Coulson is in with a shout after playing in the middle after coming on in place of Morsy.
