Tuncay worry for Boro

Middlesbrough will be without striker Tuncay and midfielder Mohamed Shawky for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League trip to Portsmouth.

Tuncay suffered suspected medial ligament damage while playing for Turkey against Belgium on Wednesday, while Shawky picked up a hamstring injury during a training session with the Egyptian squad last week.

Jeremie Aliadiere trained for the first time yesterday after picking up a foot injury against Stoke at the end of August but defender David Wheater (tonsilitis) is also a doubt and although Julio Arca is back in training following ankle ligament trouble, tomorrow’s game may come too soon for the midfielder.

Provisional squad: Turnbull, Jones, Hoyte, Wheater, Huth, Riggott, Williams, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, Emnes, O’Neil, Walker, Digard, Downing, Johnson, Mido, Alves, Craddock.