Town could face a Middlesbrough side with 10 players absent at the Riverside on Saturday.
The Blues, who remain second in the Championship table, travel to face the 12th-placed Teessiders, who are managed by boss Kieran McKenna’s friend and former colleague Michael Carrick, with two players, Massimo Luongo and Brandon Williams, missing from their own squad, the duo having picked up their fifth bookings of the season during the weekend 2-1 victory over Coventry City.
But, according to the Middlesbrough Gazette, Carrick (pictured above with Ole Gunnar Solskjær watching Town's game at Doncaster in February 2022) could be more significantly hampered when it comes to picking his side.
Defender Paddy McNair was forced off with a back problem during Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Leeds, while Dutch right-back Anfernee Dijksteel was red-carded and is therefore suspended along with winger Isaiah Jones, who was shown his fifth yellow card.
Defenders Darragh Lenihan and Tommy Smith are out long term having undergone ankle surgery and Nottingham Forest loan midfielder Lewis O’Brien is another definitely out having also gone under the knife.
Riley McGree (plantar fascia) and Marcus Forss have also been absent since October and neither is thought to be ready for a return against the Blues.
Dael Fry (hamstring) and Hayden Hackney (groin) are on the way back and might be in contention for inclusion against the Blues.
Better news for Carrick is that forward Sam Greenwood will be available having been ineligible against Leeds, his parent club.