Downing on course for January comeback

Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing could be ready to resume his bid for a place in England’s World Cup Finals squad in January.

The 21-year-old winger has been out of action since August with a knee ligament injury initially suffered on senior international duty in the United States at the end of last season.

However, he has now been told he can step up his training and is on course to meet his target of a return to action in the New Year.

“We are hoping that he will be back ahead of schedule,” said assistant manager Steve Round.

“He could be ready to play in January, depending on how his rehabilitation goes in December, but he’s back running and it’s going very well.”

That will come as a boost to manager Steve McClaren, who has been forced to field either Franck Quedrue or Emanuel Pogatetz wide on the left in recent weeks and change his system to a 3-5-2 formation to counter Downing’s absence.

The youngster had played himself into international contention with a series of stunning performances for his club during the first half of last season with some commentators suggesting he could be the answer to Sven-Goran Eriksson’s ongoing problems on that flank.

However, McClaren insists one of his brightest talents still has much to learn and is adamant that only sustained form for Boro will earn him his place on the plane to Germany.

Meanwhile, 32-year-old midfielder Ray Parlour is also on the comeback trail after undergoing surgery on a damaged knee cartilage.

“He’s due to start running on Friday and will be back for Christmas or the New Year,” Round told the club’s official website, www.mfc.co.uk.

McClaren will also hope Spanish midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, who has missed the last three games with a calf strain, can return for this weekend’s trip to Chelsea, but is more likely to be ready to face Liverpool at Anfield a week later.