Michael Carrick lists three important Boro players who might return for the match against Aston Villa.

Three important players should be available for Middlesbrough’s glamorous FA Cup match against Aston Villa this weekend, according to MICHAEL CARRICK.

Yesterday, Boro lost 3-1 at home against Coventry City, and Carrick’s squad appeared to be in dire need of repair as a result of the absence of twelve senior players due to injuries and international call-ups.

But with Hayden Hackney, Matt Crooks, and Emmanuel Latte Lath all scheduled to return to training this week, things ought to start looking up.

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It is unclear if the three will be able to start against Villa on Saturday night, but their comeback is still welcome as the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Coventry takes place three days after the FA Cup match.

By the weekend, Carrick hoped to have two or three members of the group back. “However, we’ll have to assess their level of playability. To put it simply, we probably had the fewest senior players to pick from this time around. Hopefully, that number will rise as the days and weeks pass.

“We’re hoping that Crooksy and Hayden will both train this week. We’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully Manu is working out this week as well.

Because some of the boys haven’t been home for a few weeks, it’s important to manage expectations and avoid putting too much pressure on them too soon. To feel a little bit stronger, though, it will be wonderful to have them back and in and around it once more.

In the second half of yesterday’s play, Boro was unable to match Coventry, although Carrick was pleased with Morgan Rogers’ performance in an offensive midfield role.

He remarked, “Morgan is coming on really well.” It represents the next phase of his growth and profession. He’s taking on more duties within the club, contributing significantly to games and maintaining consistency in that regard. He’s beginning to demonstrate what we kind of assumed he was capable of.