Michael Carrick has acknowledged the scale of Middlesbrough’s injury crisis but says his side will continue to battle through it in the hunt for the play-offs.
Boro’s head coach admitted his side’s problems have been made worse by the fact many of the absentees are defenders, leaving the team with few options at the back as the season enters a crucial phase.
Defensive Woes Mount for Boro
Darragh Lenihan has missed the entire campaign with injury, while Dael Fry has only made 13 appearances following a disrupted season. Rav van den Berg has been out since February, and Luke Ayling’s setback earlier this month added to the growing list.
The lack of available centre-halves has forced Carrick to field Jonny Howson, usually a midfielder, alongside left-back Neto Borges in central defence.
“I think the big thing for us lately is that they’ve all come in the same position. Most squads will cope with injuries if there is a spread. But when it’s in one part of the team, it does become more challenging. This has been pretty extreme.”
Carrick believes injuries are becoming increasingly common across the game but emphasised that the clustering of issues in defence has made life particularly difficult at Boro.
Despite the difficulties, he insisted the team still has enough quality to compete: “We’ve just got to get on with that side of things. We’ve been dealt with what we’ve been dealt, and we’ve got to just get on with it.”
There is hope either van den Berg or Fry could return following the international break, but another patched-up back four could be needed for Saturday’s home game against Oxford United.
Where Are Boro?
As of 25th March, Middlesbrough sit eighth in the Championship with 54 points from 38 matches, leaving them six points adrift of the play-off positions. Their promotion hopes remain uncertain, especially given the growing injury crisis.
With only eight games remaining, the challenge to reach the play-offs remains steep. While they are still in the mix for promotion, injuries and the gap to the top six make their prospects increasingly difficult.
Writer’s view
Boro’s injury troubles are not unique in isolation, but the concentration of setbacks in defence has left Carrick with few options. That Middlesbrough remain in the play-off picture despite this disruption speaks volumes. If even one senior centre-half returns soon, it could give Carrick the stability he needs to push through the final stretch of the season.
