The 10 players set to miss Middlesbrough v Wrexham tonight ft £4m striker | OneFootball

Tommy Conway and Josh Windass are some of the names that are set to miss Middlesbrough's clash with Wrexham in the EFL Cup.

Middlesbrough are set to take on Wrexham in an all-Championship clash in First Round of the 2026/27 EFL Cup this evening.

Boro will be looking to make a winning start in their first competitive match since their frustrating Championship play-off final defeat at the hands of Hull City back in May.

Kim Hellberg's side have shown glimpses of their quality over pre-season, which includes a 1-1 draw with Celtic, and a 3-3 stalemate with Spanish side, Espanyol.

They're set to take on an improving Wrexham side in Round One of the EFL Cup on Friday evening, in what should be an entertaining battle between both teams.

Both Middlesbrough and Wrexham don't have a fully-fit squad to choose from though, and we'll take you through the players that are set to miss the match.

Tommy Conway

Tommy Conway hasn't been available for selection throughout pre-season for Middlesbrough this summer, with the forward recently suffering a minor setback from the ankle injury which ruled him out of Scotland's World Cup campaign.

There is yet to be a timeframe set for Conway's return, but Kim Hellberg won't want to rush his star man back too early, as another major setback could see him out for a lengthy period of time.

Alfie Jones

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Alfie Jones is another player that is likely to miss the clash with Wrexham in the EFL Cup, with the 28-year-old suffering from a muscle injury picked up at the World Cup with Canada.

Jones rarely featured in the second-half of the 2025/26 league campaign for Boro, and is seemingly struggling in the race against time to be fit in time for Middlesbrough's first competitive match of the new season.

“He’s back with us. He had a minor thing from the World Cup, but he’s come back and has trained well," Hellberg said in mid-July.

"He’s not training with the team yet, but I think he is similar to Kyle - maybe one or two weeks away from getting involved with the team sessions."

Alex Bangura

Left-back Alex Bangura has found regular game time hard to come by in the Middlesbrough first-team over the years, and it doesn't seem as though he'll be featuring in their EFL Cup game against Wrexham.

Bangura hasn't featured at all for Boro in their pre-season campaign due to injury, which has been the story of his time on Teesside so far, and so it's highly unlikely that he'll be rushed back ahead of that game.

Riley McGree

Riley McGree hasn't been seen in a Middlesbrough shirt since he was forced off late on in their frustrating play-off final defeat to Hull City at Wembley Stadium.

The midfielder missed Australia's World Cup campaign over the summer with a hamstring injury, and hasn't played in any of Middlesbrough's pre-season matches.

Kim Hellberg has previously stated that the Lincoln City match in just over a week's time is where he could return to the matchday squad from his injury lay-off.

Kyle Joseph

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Kyle Joseph signed a four-year deal with Middlesbrough this summer after a £4 million transfer was agreed, having previously been on the books with Hull City, where he played his part in the Tigers' promotion into the Premier League last term.

The forward is still working his way back to full fitness after ankle surgery at the end of last season though, and has only recently returned to full training.

Hellberg recently revealed that he's hopeful of having Joseph available for selection for the clash with Lincoln City in Middlesbrough's first league game of the 2026/27 season, and so it doesn't seem as though he'll be risked against Wrexham on Friday evening.

“I think Alfie, Alex, Kyle and Riley all have hopes of being available for Lincoln. They are not training fully yet, so it’s about getting the balance right of when they return.

“But for me, I have hopes that all of those players could be around that game [Lincoln].”

Ryan Hardie

Wrexham striker Ryan Hardie has struggled with a thigh problem in recent months, and it's unlikely that he'll be risked against Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup on Friday evening.

Hardie's move to Wrexham back in 2025 hasn't gone as he would originally hoped for, and he's quite far down the pecking order in Phil Parkinson's plans in attack.

Seb Revan

Seb Revan has found regular minutes hard to come by in recent years with Wrexham, which isn't too surprising given the positive progress that the club have made in recent years.

The left-back spent time on loan with League One side, Burton Albion last season, and considering he hasn't gone on to feature for Wrexham during their pre-season tour of America, it seems unlikely that he'll be involved against Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup.

Josh Windass

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Josh Windass has been a key player for Wrexham, and caught the eye for all the right reasons last season, as Wrexham narrowly missed out on a play-off position.

He's not featured in any of the friendlies over the summer, and isn't expected to return to the squad for their clash with Middlesbrough. Phil Parkinson recently issued an update on Windass' injury status.

"Josh is still not where he needs to be yet, which is frustrating for us."

Ben Sheaf

Sheaf continues to be assessed by Wrexham's medical staff, and their clash with Middlesbrough will come too soon for him, and he'll be hoping to return for their league opener against Cardiff City.

Speaking in a recent press conference, Phil Parkinson revealed that Sheaf was making good progress, which will be a pleasing update to hear for the Wrexham supporters.

Conor Coady

Experienced defender Conor Coady is another player that didn't feature for Wrexham during their pre-season tour in the USA, and it seems unlikely that he'll be involved against Middlesbrough on Friday evening.

The former England international spent time on loan at Charlton Athletic last season, and his days are surely numbered in North Wales.