Middlesbrough can deal with Darragh Lenihan blow, as Monday night shows: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Middlesbrough return to Championship action this weekend as they travel to Ashton Gate to face Bristol City.

After a slow start to the season, Boro have now become one of the most in-form sides in the division after winning seven of their last nine league games.

That has seen Michael Carrick’s men go from the bottom half to 10th in the Championship, just two points adrift of the play-off places.

Boro will be looking to finish the weekend in the top six if results go their way, but they will face a tricky game as it is their first after receiving a bitter blow in defence.

Middlesbrough suffer Darragh Lenihan blow

Lenihan started the season off very well for Middlesbrough, as he started all of the club’s eight league games.

However, that run came to a bitter end when he picked up an ankle injury in the win over Southampton back in September.

The defender lasted the whole game but has since missed the last eight Championship games for Boro. The 29-year-old has been an important player for Boro, as he’s been picked on a regular basis, as mentioned, and has even captained the side this season.

However, Carrick’s side suffered a blow during the international break, as it was confirmed that Lenihan is likely going to miss the rest of the season following an operation on his ankle.

That leaves Boro light in central defence, and while many will expect the club to be busy in January searching for a replacement, they may already have a suitable one in Paddy McNair, and fans should be pleased after his recent display for Northern Ireland.

A recent Northern Ireland game shows Paddy McNair can replace Darragh Lenihan

McNair has been a regular in Boro’s starting XI ever since he joined the club in 2018.

However, in recent times, he has had more of a fight on his hands to retain his spot, as last season he wasn’t always a regular under Carrick.

That did continue for the 29-year-old in the opening games of the season, but since Lenihan’s injury, McNair has found himself back in the starting XI once again.

There may be concerns from Boro fans about whether they can cope with McNair replacing Lenihan, but he has shown so far that he is more than a good enough replacement, and his performance for his country on Monday night should be a sign of encouragement for Middlesbrough.

The defender has always seemed to love playing for his country, and that showed once again as Northern Ireland beat Denmark 2-0 in a Euro 2024 qualifying game.

McNair led from the back, using his experience and know-how to his advantage as he helped his country keep a clean sheet. His all-round game was very impressive and should ease Middlesbrough’s concerns.

He did his defensive duties very well, collecting eight clearances, making one blocked shot, and winning both of his ground duals that he had. The defender wasn’t dribbled past once in the contest as he kept his side in command at the back, as per Sofascore.com.

Another key attribute he showed, and what makes him a good replacement for Lenihan and a good option for Carrick, was his passing ability. McNair had 26 touches, completed nine of his 11 passes with an accuracy of 82%, and even managed one key pass. His overall SofaScore.com match rating for that game was 7.2, which he hadn’t received since his 7.2 against Birmingham City in October.

McNair may not be a long-term answer for Boro, but for this season, he is more than capable of replacing the injured Lenihan. He is still useful to have in the squad were Boro to add to their squad in January, but given that performance from the 29-year-old, it shouldn’t be a priority to sign a central defender when the transfer window opens.