Kim Hellberg is hoping to have more defensive options available for Middlesbrough’s upcoming trip to Hull City on Friday, admitting the injury situation he has inherited on Teesside is unlike anything he’s dealt with before.
kicked off his Boro tenure with a comeback 2–1 win over Derby County, thanks to goals from Matt Targett and Morgan Whittaker. The victory was even more impressive given the long list of unavailable players and the makeshift defence he was forced to field.
With Dael Fry, George Edmundson and Darragh Lenihan already sidelined, Luke Ayling and Aidan Morris were added to the injury problems in the midweek loss to Coventry City.
As a result, Newcastle loanee Matt Targett had to fill in at centre-back, while Alex Bangura made his first competitive start in 22 months at left-back.
Speaking after the game, Hellberg explained, “We had four centre-backs unavailable. I’ve never experienced anything like that. Browney wasn’t feeling great but still produced a strong performance because we needed him.
And Matt playing centre-back for possibly the first time, then scoring a header — that’s incredible. I’m very proud of how the backline battled, especially against a powerful striker and a talented number ten like Agyemang.”
Hellberg also expressed hope that Sontje Hansen’s issue isn’t serious. The forward was one of Boro’s standout performers before being forced off just after the 55-minute mark, though a substitution was already planned.
He added, “Sontje was very good in his 55 minutes. It felt like the right moment to make a change. He hasn’t played a lot recently but showed his quality. We need to keep pushing to help him raise his levels even more.”
Hellberg said he wasn’t fully updated on the timeframe for the injured players but believes several are close to returning. “I think they’re coming back soon, but I’m not the best person to give exact details. From what I understand, Ayling and Morris shouldn’t be out too long either.”
One positive was the return of David Strelec, who had missed Boro’s previous two matches with a foot issue but was fit enough to come off the bench and play the final 35 minutes against Derby.
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