Middlesbrough were held to a goalless draw against Blackburn Rovers on the weekend, denting their promotion hopes.
Michael Carrick‘s side huffed and puffed but couldn’t find the deceive goal against Championship strugglers Blackburn Rovers.
The Boro boss was frustrated post-match and claimed his side lacked the quality to take their chances. It has left them seven points adrift from Norwich City, who occupy sixth place having defeated Stoke City 3-0.
Rav van den Berg was a surprise absence in the matchday squad on Saturday and Carrick explained his exclusion by speaking following the clash at Riverside Stadium.
Michael Carrick on Rav van den Berg exclusion
Naturally, many eyebrows were raised when van den Berg’s name didn’t appear on the teamsheet, having enjoyed a fruitful debut season at the club.
Carrick issued an update on his surprise absence: “At this stage I don’t know to be honest. Hopefully he’s not too bad. He came off before there was any damage but at this stage we don’t know. We’ll assess him. The doc and the physios will make that call but it’s probably unlikely he’ll go away.
“Rav twisted his knee in the last few minutes at Birmingham. We gave him a couple of days to see how it settles down but he wasn’t ready for today. We’ll have to assess how bad it is with scans and things over the next few days. Hopefully it won’t be too bad but, at this stage, we’re not too sure.”
A rather concerning update from the Boro boss, who admitted he will need to be assessed and couldn’t provide a timeline on his return.
Heading into the business end of the campaign, with eight cup finals to play, Carrick will be desperate to avoid a season-ending injury to his highly-rated defender, who is attracting interest.
Middlesbrough can’t afford any more slip-ups
Boro can’t afford any more slip-ups if they are to realise their playoff hopes. Top six rivals Norwich and Preston North End both won at the weekend and increased their advantage on Carrick’s side.
Middlesbrough‘s trip to Southampton after the international break has almost become a must-win, given they need to surmount a seven-point gap on The Canaries.
They have a tough run in but perhaps can view that as a positive, with seventh-placed Hull City still to play.
Play-offs certainly aren’t impossible, but they must look to take full points in their final four games at Riverside.
Boro have to make home advantage count and right the wrongs of Saturday.