Boro dealt Maccarone blow

Middlesbrough have been dealt a massive blow on the eve of their Premiership opener at Fulham with the news that record signing Massimo Maccarone will be out for a further 10 weeks.

The Italian striker damaged ankle ligaments in a pre-season friendly at Hull and now joins long-term absentees Ugo Ehiogu (knee ligaments) and David Murphy (ankle) on the sidelines.

Striker Michael Ricketts will miss out with an Achilles problem while French full-back Franck Queudrue starts a five-match ban.

George Boateng is short of match fitness after surgery on an ankle although new signings Alan Wright and Carlo Nash are both included in the squad.

PROVISIONAL SQUAD: Schwarzer, Nash, Parnaby, Stockdale, Wright, Cooper, Davies, Southgate, Riggott, Boateng, Greening, Doriva, Juninho, Wilson, Christie, Nemeth, Job, Downing.