Connor Barron in 'awkward' Middlesbrough situation as Rangers recall talk swirls | OneFootball

Reports have suggested that Rangers could recall the midfielder from his Boro loan.

Middlesbrough have taken significant early strides in the Championship to mend the heartbreak of last season's play-off final defeat to Hull City.

Kim Hellberg's side occupy third position, having taken 15 points from their opening eight matches, with defeat to Blackburn Rovers the only blot on their record.

Much of Boro's success has been down to their summer recruitment, with several players already making key contributions in a strong second-tier side.

However, not all recruits are thriving at the Riverside, as Connor Barron is finding out, and there have already been reports suggesting Rangers could recall him early from his season-long loan.

Connor Barron view shared after Rangers recall reports

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Barron arrived at the Riverside on transfer deadline day from the Gers and shared a social media post, expressing his excitement about the move.

However, despite being available for five Championship encounters and one Carabao Cup clash, the defensive midfielder has not even been included on Hellberg's bench once.

When asked for his thoughts on the reports that Rangers are prepared to recall the 24-year-old if his lack of minutes continues and whether he would be missed, FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day was unsure.

"It's impossible to say whether Connor Barron would be a miss if he left because he clearly hasn't got an opportunity," he said.

"Whilst I do think he will get opportunities, he seems a decent player; it's quite hard to get into a team that's doing so well.

"It's a bit of an awkward situation for him, but I think he's covering a position that we do need covering, and I do think he'll get minutes, and they'll start picking up quite quickly after the international break.

"I'd be very surprised if this did happen, but if he doesn't get minutes, then you can completely understand why Rangers would want to recall him, and you couldn't really blame them."

Why can't Barron make Middlesbrough's bench?

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When Barron joined on loan from Rangers, I'm sure he would have anticipated having to bide his time for a start, but not even making Hellberg's squad is quite something.

Of course, the Swede has a winning formula going, and with that in place, it is understandably very difficult for those on the periphery to break in.

Hellberg has done some tinkering in central midfield, but most of that was at the start of the season as he figured out his best combination, with Aidan Morris and Sebastian Berhalter his favoured pairing, starting four matches together in central midfield.

Beyond them, Myles Peart-Harris has dropped deeper when required, while Leo Castledine and Rokas Puskas have been regular substitute options, with Hellberg favouring attacking midfield options on his bench.

Of course, Barron did arrive late in the summer, which has left him playing catch-up, but now it is up to him to prove to his head coach why he is worthy of minutes.

What would Barron offer Boro?

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Given that Barron is yet to feature for Middlesbrough, many fans will be wondering exactly what he could offer this thriving side.

Last season, the midfielder made 27 appearances for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership as their poor end-of-season form meant they fell 10 points short of champions Celtic.

Barron is a combative, energetic defensive midfielder, although it was his passing ability that set him apart from the majority of players in his position last term.

The Scot's 88.9 per cent pass completion ranked him in the top eight per cent of players in his position, while he also ranked in the top 10 per cent for successful crosses, according to FotMob.