‘I wish it wasn’t’ – Middlesbrough boss provides fitness update on midfielder | OneFootball

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg admitted he would play midfielder Riley McGree for the entirety of every game, if it were possible.

McGree has had a torrid time with injuries, and came back from his latest setback last month.

He has played a part in each of the four games since his return, registering two goals and two assists in that time.

“Riley, I would put up every game for 90 minutes if that was possible, but it’s not,” Hellberg said ahead of the game against Leicester City.

“Riley is brilliant, I would like to have three of Riley and then playing him all the time, but that’s not always possible.

“He’s coming back from injury which means that you have to manage it. That’s what it is. I wish it wasn’t, but it is what it is. You need to try, with players coming back from injury, to protect them a little bit from that.

“When players are coming back, and when you play games very close together, you need to try to manage them in the best way to get them up to that speed where they can start every game.”