Michael Carrick issues Darragh Lenihan injury update after Middlesbrough’s loss to Brighton | OneFootball

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick says he is unsure how long defender Darragh Lenihan will be sidelined for after he missed the FA Cup defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Boro have been on an excellent run in the league, but were outclassed by their Premier League opponents in a 5-1 loss at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

Pascal Gross put the Seagulls ahead in the eighth minute, before Chuba Akpom equalised just five minutes later with his 14th goal of the season.

But the visitors then took full control of the game through Adam Lallana, a double from World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Deniz Undav to secure an emphatic victory and their progression to the fourth round.

Lenihan has been crucial in the revival under Carrick and his importance was underlined by the weekend’s defeat as Boro struggled to contain Roberto De Zerbi’s men without him.

The 28-year-old suffered a foot injury in training prior to the game and Carrick now faces an anxious wait to find out the severity.

“Unfortunately, Darragh felt something under his foot, towards his toe, in training. It’s disappointing that he couldn’t play today, but it only happened yesterday so I don’t know how long he’s going to be out for and there’s not really an update on that,” Carrick told Teesside Live.

“Obviously, we’re hopeful that he won’t be out for too long because he’s a big part of what we do, but injuries happen and it’s something we’ve got to deal with. We’ll just have to take it as it comes.”

The positive for Carrick is that he can call upon Paddy McNair in Lenihan’s absence, with the Northern Irishman making his first appearance under the 41-year-old against the Seagulls.

“I thought Paddy did well,” Carrick said.

“It was a tough game for all of the lads, given the quality of the opposition. But they all competed and gave their all.

“It’s not easy for Paddy to come into a team after not playing for so long, and more so against such a good team. But he did fine. He’s a good player and played at a good level all of his career. He’s got good experience and is a big option for us.”

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The Verdict

Carrick will be hoping that Lenihan is not facing a long injury lay-off.

He has been integral to Boro’s rise up the table in recent weeks, with his leadership qualities and some incredibly solid and dependable performances at the back.

It says a lot about the form Boro have been in that a player of McNair’s quality has been unable to get into the side, so he is a more than capable replacement.

But with Boro currently sitting fifth in the Championship, he will not want his key man to be out for too long or to have to disrupt what has been a settled defence.