Sontje Hansen truth emerges at Middlesbrough as transfer talk swirls | OneFootball

Kim Hellberg reveals why Sontje Hansen was left out of the Middlesbrough squad against Wrexham

Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg revealed that Sontje Hansen's absence from the EFL Cup first-round win against Wrexham was due to improving his fitness with the Under-21s, after enjoying an extended break following the World Cup.

Boro were victorious over their fellow Championship big-hitters on Friday night in what was, on paper, one of the more exciting opening-round ties of the Carabao Cup.

Will Lankshear netted the only goal on his debut, assisted by fellow debutant Sebastian Berhalter, to knock Phil Parkinson's side out, subsequently setting up a tie with Doncaster Rovers, the side who knocked Middlesbrough out last season, in a couple of weeks.

A lot of the attacking quality that Kim Hellberg has in his arsenal was on show at the Riverside, but one notable absence in the game was Curacao international Hansen, who struggled to make an impact in his first season with the Teesiders last year.

Kim Hellberg explains Sontje Hansen's absence against Wrexham

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However, Boro boss Hellberg stated following the game that the 24-year-old's absence from the squad on Friday wasn't due to an impending move away, but rather the coaching staff feeling that a game with the Under-21s would have been more beneficial to improving his fitness.

Hansen spent the summer with the Curacao National Team in the World Cup, playing 45 minutes in their opening group game against Germany before being an unused substitute in the other two.

Due to this, the wideman returned to Middlesbrough training a little later than the rest of his teammates, and Hellberg felt that a full game for the Under-21s would be better than a cameo bench appearance against Wrexham.

"Sontje was not involved, but it was no injury or anything like that," the Swedish boss said, per the Northern Echo. "He played a game [for the Under-21s] because we looked at his physics.

"We had to do as much as we could for everyone because we're still in the pre-season stage, so it was important to get as much as possible out of the weekend. There were different possibilities, and he's ready to go next week.

“He's here, and he's training. He came back late because of the World Cup, which means that he is a little bit behind with his physics and fitness.

That’s why, together, we made that decision to try to almost play 90 minutes in the Under-21s instead of maybe playing five [against Wrexham].”

Sontje Hansen is still linked with Middlesbrough exit

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Hansen may be fit to play, but there's still every likelihood that the Curacao international won't be involved much at the Riverside this season.

The 24-year-old arrived from Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen last summer following consecutive campaigns registering 10 goal involvements in the Dutch top flight, but struggled massively to adapt to the Championship in his debut campaign.

Hansen made 20 appearances in all competitions last year, only four of which saw him in the starting eleven. He was used off the bench in both the play-off semi-final second leg and the final.

But with Kyle Joseph through the door, Leo Castledine expected to play an improved role, and similarly with Jeremy Sarmiento, the opportunity for Hansen to break into the starting eleven at the Riverside seems slim.

The Northern Echo stated that Middlesbrough are willing to listen to offers for the wideman if they come in. But for now, Kim Hellberg seems fine with having him as a squad option.

How Middlesbrough fans reacted to Sontje Hansen's Wrexham absence

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Not every signing can be a success, and Middlesbrough fans are seemingly content with washing their hands of Hansen after just one year at the Riverside.

There are still some comments of support towards the 24-year-old online in response to his absence from the Wrexham game and the news surrounding how open Boro are to his departure, but, overall, it's almost accepted that Hansen's future lies elsewhere.

"He looked devoid of confidence from day one," one fan said on X.

And in response to someone complaining about Boro "taking chances on players like this only to ruin their confidence and lose money in the process," a fan replied, "Tbf we’ve taken a fair few chances on players under the new model and made money. Which is why we tend to have a go in the summer windows; not every signing is going to be a success under it."