Middlesbrough will hope to continue their push for promotion into the Premier League when they return from the international break.
Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg has delivered an update on the fitness of key duo Morgan Whittaker and Hayden Hackney as his side prepare for the final stages of their push for promotion into the Premier League.
Both Whittaker and Hackney have been integral figures for Hellberg throughout a campaign that has taken Boro firmly into contention for a return to the top flight and have provided a combined 16 goals and 14 assists during their side’s 39 league games. However, neither player was able to feature during Saturday’s goalless draw at Blackburn Rovers after a calf injury picked up by Hackney during the draw with Bristol City ruled him out of the stalemate and Whittaker suffered an injury in training just days before the trip to Ewood Park.
A two-week international break will provide some respite for Hellberg and his players as they prepare to return to action with a home clash against promotion rivals Millwall on Good Friday - and Hellberg remains uncertain whether both players could be in contention for that meeting with Alex Neil’s men.
Speaking after the weekend draw, the Boro boss said: “I hope he’s [Whittaker] starting training when we come back from the international break, or like, after the Millwall game. That’s my hope, but we will see. Both of them are the same. We will train a little bit at first and then we go on a break for some days. Then we come back from that break and it's going up to the Millwall game. Then we’ll do an assessment and know more about it.
“Both of them are chances, and I’m hoping for it, but I have, to be honest, no clue if it’s one week or two weeks more or they are ready to go. I don’t know. I think it’s a strong message today - Hayden Hackney not playing, Morgan Whittaker not playing. They’re our two best point-takers in the season, and yet the game looks the same. The game also looks the same away from home, as at home. A lot of teams have huge respect for the way the players play football, and I think that is also one strong message in a time where you don't get the wins in the last three games that we wanted.”
Opportunities
Alex Neil.placeholder image
Alex Neil. | Getty Images
Middlesbrough had one eye on events at Portman Road during their goalless draw at Blackburn Rovers as promotion rivals Ipswich Town and Millwall shared the points in a hard-fought affair. Tractor Boys winger Jack Clarke put the hosts in front when he beat former Sunderland team-mate Anthony Patterson during the closing stages of the first half but Millwall, who will visit the Riverside Stadium after the international break, roared back to secure a share of the spoils thanks to an equaliser from former Boro man Josh Coburn six minutes after the restart.
Millwall boss Neil was happy to have collected a point from the game as his side continue their push for promotion and he revealed the change in approach he instigated to kickstart his side’s comeback.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Neil said: “I thought they (Ipswich) were really aggressive, they went after the ball and I thought in the transitional moments, albeit I thought they carried the threat, equally so did we. Whereas in the first half, I thought they carried the threat and we didn't really. So the game wasn't really ever going to fall in our favour from that point of view.
“What we did do is, and this is what I want to make clear, because we took Macca (Longstaff) off and put Mika (Ivanovic) on, the game didn't change on that. The game changed because we changed our press. Physical presence matters and that's why I made the change. And then equally, I thought once we got the goal, we had a few opportunities at the end to get the winner. We were a bit unfortunate at the one that comes off the bar. But certainly at half-time, if you offered me a point, I would have took it at that stage."
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