Middlesbrough have impressed in pre-season but Michael Carrick still has some big decisions to make.
Michael Carrick did not have a lot of choice when it came to picking his Middlesbrough starting line-up last season.
Boro suffered a horrific injury crisis across much of the season, with an average of 6.5 players out per match.
The majority of the club’s injured stars have returned to full fitness and have been taking part in pre-season.
However, Marcus Forss and Tommy Smith will miss Middlesbrough’s meeting with Swansea City as they are still recovering from last season’s injuries.
Dael Fry and Daragah Leninhan will not feature heavily vs Swansea after Carrick confirmed he is slowly introducing the duo back into the team.
As a result, who starts at centre-back against Swansea on August 10th is not really up for debate.
There are still a few key positions that are up for grabs though, and Carrick’s men still have one more chance to prove themselves when Middlesbrough face SC Heerenveen on August 3rd.
Here are three key Middlesbrough positions still up for grabs ahead of Swansea…
Right-wing
Marcus Forss was Middlesbrough’s best right-winger in the 2023/24 season.
The Finn scored seven and assisted two in 21 games but his campaign was cut short due to injury.
Forss remains sidelined, leaving Isaiah Jones as Carrick’s only fit senior option on that flank.
However, Jones is an inconsistent player and the Boro boss may now have found someone to rival him out wide.
Sonny Finch is a natural centre-forward but the academy star has been deployed on the right in pre-season.
Finch has excelled in that role and Carrick could now handed the 18-year-old a starting berth ahead of Jones versus the Swans.
Central midfield
Hayden Hackney and Jonny Howson were Middlesbrough’s main central midfield pairing in the previous season.
Hackney endured a spell on the sidelines but when fit, the pair dominated in the centre of the park.
However, Boro have spent £3.18m on Aidan Morris this summer and he will be expecting to play regularly.
Carrick shared his verdict on Morriss recently, stating he was a natural fit for Middlesbrough.
With Howson now 36 years old, the Teessiders’ new signing could replace the Boro captain in midfield.
Left-back
Lukas Engel dominated the left-back position for Middlesbrough in 2023/24.
Alex Bangura was an ok backup but he is expected to miss the Swansea game due to injury anyway.
However, a Boro academy graduate could now rival Engel for a starting berth on the left of Middlesbrough’s back four.
19-year-old George McCormick has filled in at left-back for Bangura in pre-season and earned high praise for his showings.
McCormick should be included in the matchday squad on August 10th and may even replace Engel in the eleven if he can put on another stellar display against Heerenveen.