Rav van den Berg has resumed light training at Rockliffe but Saturday’s game might well come too soon for the Dutchman, while George Edmundson and Dael Fry have again been ruled out.
It’s hoped that Edmundson, who has missed the last four games with an ankle injury, could return to training next week but Fry, who suffered a calf problem in the defeat at Swansea earlier this month, faces another fortnight on the sidelines.
Further forward, Riley McGree has re-joined training during the international break but, like van den Berg, it’s not clear whether he’ll be deemed available for Saturday’s game against Oxford. The midfielder hasn’t played for Boro since New Year’s Day.
But it’s in defence where the injuries have stacked up in recent weeks and left Carrick short, with the head coach having to play midfielder Jonny Howson and left-back Neto Borges at centre-half for the last two games.
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“We’re trying to get the boys back fit, it’s important to get the boys back,” said Carrick ahead of Saturday’s game, the first of eight remaining fixtures for Boro, who are three points off the play-off places in the Championship.
“Rav has trained with us in a small capacity this week so far, so he’s made a good step towards that.
“Riley has trained a bit with us as well so that’s two going in the right direction.
“We’ll see for Saturday. It’s a bit of a step for that but we’ll see.
“George is a little bit closer. Maybe sometime next week for George, which is another positive.
“Dael will be a bit further behind. It’s Dael’s calf. He’s had bit of calf issues over time. He’s probably a couple of weeks away. It’s not a serious one.”
Carrick was also asked whether Boro’s internationals have returned to Rockliffe unscathed, but said: “A few knocks and niggles and twists here and there.
“We’ll see. We’re hopeful everyone will be alright but we’re still managing that.”
If Saturday’s game comes too soon for van den Berg, Carrick won’t be at all concerned about starting Howson and Borges at centre-half again.
He said: “We kept a clean sheet [at Luton], and all things considered that was a really good clean sheet. That was a real positive.”
