Boro relief as Boateng injury fears alleviated

Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren's fears that midfielder George Boateng could be sidelined for several weeks have been allayed.

The 30-year-old was injured in a collision with Holland team-mate Mark van Bommel during a training match ahead of the friendly with Italy in Amsterdam at the weekend.

Reports in the Dutch media suggested serious knee ligament damage, but inquiries have revealed Boateng has been able to return to training with no ill-effects, although Barcelona star van Bommel’s situation appears to be less favourable.

“George’s injury is by no means as bad as was first feared and he managed to train today,” a Boro spokesman told PA Sport.

“He had a knock on his knee and was taken back to the team hotel for checks, but by the time he got there, it had eased considerably.

“He felt fine this morning, so he was able to train.”

The news will boost McClaren, who has just seen his £5m (€7.4m) signing return to the international fold after shining for the Teesside club since his move from Aston Villa during the summer of 2002.

He too is currently away on international duty with England, but will have been anxious to check on one of his key men after learning of his mishap.

Boateng and skipper Gareth Southgate have arguably been the two most influential players of McClaren’s reign to date and he knows keeping both fit is a must if Boro are to achieve their dream of a top-six Barclays Premiership finish this season.

Indeed, the manager himself has pointed to the injury the Dutchman suffered in December last year when he broke a bone in his foot as the day on which Boro’s charge towards the Champions League suffered a fatal blow.

Boateng missed a total of 18 games, 12 of them in the league, as Boro slipped off the pace, and his return at the beginning of April coincided with an eight-match run to the end of the campaign which brought just one defeat – at home to Arsenal – as the Teessiders clinched the final UEFA Cup place with a last day draw at Manchester City.

McClaren has a ready-made replacement in Brazilian Doriva, although Boateng’s drive would have been badly missed had his injury resulted in a lengthy lay-off.

His central midfield partnership with Bolo Zenden as a feature of the club’s play last season, and he, Gaizka Mendieta and new boy Fabio Rochemback have worked hard to establish a rapport in a new 3-5-2 formation in recent weeks.