The 7 players set to miss Southampton v Middlesbrough ft Hayden Hackney | OneFootball

These seven players will be absent from the play-off semi-final second leg matchup on the South Coast on Tuesday night

After a goalless first leg at the Riverside, it's a straight shootout to see who will progress to the play-off final at Wembley between Southampton and Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.

Saturday's clash had a lot of added bite to it, given the off-field incidents which occurred in the lead-up towards it.

Indeed, Southampton were charged over a breach of EFL rulings, after a performance analyst from Tonda Eckert's side was alleged to have spied on Middlesbrough's training session on the Thursday before the game.

That led to a rather frosty interaction between the two head coaches, both before and after the game, when the two shook hands, and even colder responses, mainly from a Southampton perspective, in the press conferences which followed.

Nevertheless, on the field, it was a game where Boro rued their missed chances and will feel aggrieved that they aren't taking a lead to St Mary's, while Southampton will be happy to have things level ahead of a return to a ground they haven't lost at in 12 consecutive games in all competitions.

And despite the off-field noise that is still prevalent heading into Tuesday, the focus will be fully on it for 90 minutes. Unfortunately, these seven players are still set to miss out.

Jack Stephens

In Southampton's match pack ahead of the meeting with Middlesbrough on Tuesday night, it was stated that Jack Stephens continues his recovery from a calf injury.

The Saints' captain has missed five consecutive games now, but there was hope that he could make a return to the side for the first leg against Boro on Saturday.

Ultimately, unlike Kuryu Matsuki, the 32-year-old remained on the sidelines, and that could likely remain the same on Tuesday.

Mads Roerslev

Mads Roerslev has had an injury-riddled first season at St Mary's after making the switch from Brentford in the summer.

The one-time Danish international made just two substitute appearances under Tonda Eckert before injury curtailed his season. An initial knee problem, combined with surgery on his Achilles in February, has ruled him out for the rest of the year.

Alex McCarthy

Veteran goalkeeper Alex McCarthy hasn't been seen on the pitch since Will Still's final game in charge at Southampton in November and hasn't been in a squad since early February.

The latter is due to him having to undergo wrist surgery, for which he was reportedly nearing a return to action back in March. Despite this, the match pack states he's still a long-term absentee.

With Daniel Peretz showing his excellence in goal, though, there isn't much urgency for the 36-year-old to be rushed back.

Hayden Hackney

The big news coming out of the Middlesbrough camp ahead of Tuesday night's second leg clash is that Championship Player of the Season Hayden Hackney won't be able to make the squad, as he's set to miss a 10th straight game with a calf injury.

Boro have clearly missed his X-Factor in the engine room towards the end of the season, and he could hold the keys to unlocking the Southampton defence in the second leg.

But, despite engaging in light training ahead of Saturday, he won't be fit for either leg. He will, however, be able to make a return to the squad for the play-off final on May 23, if Kim Hellberg's side make it.

Alex Bangura

Left-back Alex Bangura's injury-plagued time on Teeside continued in the penultimate game of the campaign against Watford, when he was taken off at half time.

That was his first start since being forced off against Swansea City on Easter Monday, and when asked about it, the Boro boss stated that it was due to complications surrounding that injury against the Swans.

Given how little game time he's had, his fitness has been a concern. He missed Saturday and will likely be out for Tuesday night's second leg, too.

Alfie Jones

Alfie Jones was a big part of the strong Boro defence in the first half of the season, but a serious ankle injury put paid to his season, and it was revealed in late April that the former Hull City man would be out for the rest of the campaign.

The 28-year-old came through the Southampton academy, but won't be able to help contribute to his current side progressing to Wembley at his former side's expense.

Luckily enough, with the likes of Adilson Malanda, Luke Ayling and Dael Fry holding down the backline, his presence hasn't been missed too much at times during his absence.

Darragh Lenihan

And finally, Darragh Lenihan hasn't been seen in a Middlesbrough shirt since a draw away at Preston North End in September, one of only two appearances he's made this season.

The 32-year-old is currently sidelined with an Achilles injury and will likely not be offered a new contract when his deal expires at the Riverside this summer.