Middlesbrough midfielder’s recovery ‘slower than hoped’ says Hellberg as Boro boss provides updates on several others | OneFootball

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg says Hayden Hackney’s comeback from injury is progressing slower than they had hoped.

Hackney has been out with a calf injury for the last three league games and is not yet ready to return when Boro take on Portsmouth on Saturday.

“He’s on his way back but it goes a bit slower than we’d hoped, as you’d understand,” Hellberg said.

“We had hopes for the Millwall game but he couldn’t participate in that or the Swansea game.

“It gets better but not as quick as we wanted. I thought the Millwall game, so I still hope and think that [before end of the season] but it goes a bit slower than we thought.”

In better news, Hellberg hopes to have Matt Targett involved this weekend, however, while Alex Bangura could be back for the following game against Ipswich.

Morgan Whittaker could also return along with Sam Silvera.

“It was better than we thought on Bangura,” he said. “He won’t participate in this game but I think he’ll be back for the Ipswich game hopefully. It’s much better than we thought.

“Tiggs [Matt Targett] will have to cope with the pain. I think Matt will be in the squad and Sam [Silvera] is getting better.

“Sam has been on the pitch in the week. So maybe he can return. Morgan [Whittaker] is getting closer, closer too. He could be.”