Middlesbrough could be without several key first team players for Sunday lunchtime's crunch clash with Championship promotion rivals Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Having spent 217 days in the top two this season, the Teesiders' form has nosedived in recent weeks and they head to Suffolk down in fifth and winless in six (L3 D3).
A series of key injuries have not helped manager Kim Hellberg, with midfield talisman Hayden Hackney (5G, 7A) - who turned down a big money move to Ipswich last summer - chief among them.
Hackney suffered a calf injury against Bristol City last month, has missed four subsequent games and remains a major doubt for this weekend's game.
"It gets better but not as quick as we wanted," said Hellberg. "I thought the Millwall game, so I still hope and think that (he will return before end of the season) but it goes a bit slower than we thought."
Former Ipswich loanee Jeremy Sarmiento, who played an important role in helping the Blues get promoted to the Premier League in 2023/24, is now on loan at Boro from Brighton. He's also a doubt for the weekend with a knee injury he sustained in last Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Portsmouth.
Boro's top scorer, winger Morgan Whittaker (11G, 6A), has missed the last five games with an ankle injury. Hellberg says he 'could be available' this weekend.
First choice left-back Matt Targett came off with a 'knock' last weekend, with back-up left-back Alex Bangura having missed that game with an unspecified muscle injury. Both face late fitness tests.
On Targett's set-back, Hellberg said: "Of course he is distraught. You come back after being injured, you do those 25 minutes, you're looking like a Roberto Carlos left-back again and it’s tough. I feel very sorry for him. Hopefully it’s not that bad.”
Centre-backs Alfie Jones (ankle) and Darragh Leninhan (Achilles), plus midfielder Leo Castledine (muscle), remain longer-term absentees.
With Coventry set to clinch to the Championship title, it's looking like a four-way fight for second spot between Ipswich (75pts), Millwall (73pts), Southampton (72pts) and Middlesbrough (72pts). Town have five games left, with their rivals only having four.
