Why ex-West Brom & Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray may be out of Middlesbrough frame | OneFootball

Tony Mowbray may not be making a return to the Riverside dugout.

Tony Mowbray may not be the man to succeed Rob Edwards in the Middlesbrough dugout, as a medical procedure could see him unavailable to coach for a little while.

Boro are on the hunt for a new manager for the second time in five months, after Rob Edwards was stood down from his role on Saturday (November 8) to allow him to speak with Premier League strugglers Wolves.

However, that man will not be Tony Mowbray, as, according to Alan Nixon via his Patreon, the 61-year-old is set to undergo a double hernia operation shortly, making him unavailable to coach.

Tony Mowbray facing hurdle to take over at Middlesbrough

When the news broke surrounding Rob Edwards' pre-match press conference for Middlesbrough's game against Birmingham City being cancelled amid interest from Wolves, Tony Mowbray was the favourite to take over from the former Luton Town boss.

The 61-year-old has plenty of ties with the club, having spent nearly a decade of his playing career at the Riverside, as well as three years there as a manager between 2010 and 2013.

However, a return for a second managerial spell may not be on the cards, as Alan Nixon revealed that Mowbray is set to undergo a double hernia operation, which would see him sidelined for a little while.

The boyhood Middlesbrough fan last managed at West Bromwich Albion, taking charge of the final three months of last season as the Baggies fell short of the play-offs.

He also helped Sunderland finish inside the play-offs in their first season back in the Championship in the 22/23 campaign.

In between those spells, Mowbray had a period at Birmingham, which was cut short due to him having to undergo emergency surgery for "out of nowhere" bowel cancer just a month into his reign.

Whilst this hernia operation isn't as concerning, it does possibly mean that Mowbray won't be in the running to manage anytime soon, and with Boro wanting to make this process as stress-free and quick as possible, it may just be a case of bad timing regarding the two parties reuniting once more.

Tony Mowbray may not have been the man for Middlesbrough

Given Boro's current league position, many could argue that, despite his well-liked nature and links to the Riverside, Tony Mowbray wouldn't have been the right man to take over from Rob Edwards, even if he was available.

Middlesbrough will hope to maintain this strong start, which Rob Edwards had helped to mastermind, and while Mowbray is a solid Championship boss, his short-lived time at The Hawthorns may have proven that the 61-year-old isn't the right man to lead a promotion charge.

With the likes of Carlos Corberan being linked with the vacant position at the Riverside, Boro fans would arguably want to see someone of his calibre take the role, given his past successes in taking Huddersfield Town and West Brom from the bottom of the division into the play-offs.

For now, those on Teesside are having to wait patiently to see who will be the man to take the club forward after such a strong start, but if reports are to be believed, Tony Mowbray won't be that man.