Michael Carrick will be pleased to welcome back Anfernee Dijksteel and Isaiah Jones back for the clash with Hull City after both served a one match suspension against Ipswich Town last week.
In the case of Dijksteel, it could mean yet another reshuffle in the back line as his inclusion would see Rav van den Berg revert to his favoured centre-back spot, which in turn would see either Dael Fry or Matt Clarke make way.
Carrick needs round pegs in round holes
The general feeling suggests that Dijksteel will return for the visit of Hull to the Riverside, because the alternative means playing someone out of position and Boro need as many round pegs in round holes as they can right now. The question is, does Carrick stick with Dael Fry, who has played the bulk of Boro’s games this season, or go with the balance of a left-footed player on the left side of the centre-back pairing in Matt Clarke?
Rav van den Berg has done enough to warrant his place having played right across the back line and acquitted himself well in difficult circumstances. He is more than competent enough to be able to play on the left of a pairing should Carrick decide that Fry is better placed than Clarke in terms of fitness and continuity.
That said, Matt Clarke is getting fitter by the week and despite making only his first start last week, Boro’s Head Coach has insisted that the former Brighton man has been ready to go for a while.
Centre-back relationships
Paddy McNair had been playing well with Dael Fry up until recently when he had a back spasm that saw him withdraw during the defeat to Leeds United. It is unlikely he will be ready in time to be considered for the match under the Riverside lights. That is one of the problems that Carrick has, players playing together and forging relationships. It should come as no surprise that Fry and McNair played well together, they know each other’s game.
If Rav van den Berg was to partner Clarke or Fry in the centre of defence against Hull, it would be Middlesbrough’s fifth different centre-back pairing of the season, and we are not even at the half-way point in the Championship season.
The Boro boss cited that as one of the reasons it is not quite happening in terms of results at the moment. Despite missing as many as ten senior players at one point, he has not once bemoaned the injury situation (though he would have good grounds to do so), but he has said that it means the individuals picked to play, don’t quite have the same connections and footballing relationship together.
Hopefully that scenario will begin to improve over the coming weeks with Hayden Hackney expected to be fit before Christmas and the likes of Riley McGree and Marcus Forss hopefully not too far away.