Neil Warnock delivers bleak early Middlesbrough injury update ahead of Barnsley clash | OneFootball

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock has suggested that it is unlikely that any of his injured players will be set to return to action for their meeting with struggling Barnsley in midweek.

Boro’s squad has been really impacted by a host of injury issues in the defensive third in recent weeks. It has even left Middlesbrough searching the free-agent market for potential reinforcements.

Against Peterborough United on Saturday, Warnock’s side were without the likes of Grant Hall, Dael Fry, Marc Bola and Anfernee Dijksteel through injury. While matters were made even more complicated by the fact that Lee Peltier was also suspended.

Despite all of those issues with his squad, Warnock was able to see his side do just about enough to edge out a struggling Peterborough side and claim a much-needed three points to lift themselves back into the top half of the table.

Speaking to the Northern Echo after Middlesbrough’s win against Peterborough, Warnock revealed that he does not expect any of Boro’s injured players to return to action against Barnsley, although Peltier will be set to return from suspension.

He said: “I wouldn’t have thought we’ll have any of the injured lads back. Peltier will be back from suspension, but I pulled Paddy and Jonny yesterday and said, ‘You’re my Beckenbauers tomorrow lads’. I presume they know who Beckenbauer is at their age!”

This is a blow for Boro but it is not something that was unexpected because they have been having to cope without their injured players over the last few weeks now.

It was going to be a big ask for them to be ready to return to action for the Barnsley game and it might have been a risk in bringing some of them back into the squad for that fixture anyway.

Warnock’s side were able to show a lot of character to grind out their win against Peterborough on Saturday without those injured players.

They will now have to try and repeat that trick when another struggling side visits the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday.

Once that game is out of the way, the hope will be that some of Middlesbrough’s injury issues start to clear up over the coming weeks.

At least they will have Peltier back in the squad to boost their numbers after his suspension has come to an end.