UGO EHIOGU has warned Middlesbrough they can't afford to lose Paul Ince and Benito Carbone.

Boro will get a taste of what life is like without inspirational skipper Ince and midfield fulcrum Carbone when they face Arsenal in their FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford a week tomorrow.

As if the prospect of taking on the double-chasing Gunners wasn't already daunting enough, Ince is suspended and Carbone Cup-tied as Boro bid to reach the final for only the second time in their 126-year history.

Former England international Ince, now 34, is out of contract this summer and yet to agree a new deal, while Italian nomad Carbone - who has plied his trade with 11 clubs - is on loan from Bradford City until the end of the season.

Both players have been key to Boro's recent resurgence and Ehiogu, a bulwark in central defence, has exhorted manager Steve McClaren to secure their services.

Ince begins his suspension today, when Boro host Ehiogu's old club Aston Villa.

"We need to sort out his situation,'' stressed Ehiogu. "He is good enough to stay on, of course. He's proved with his performances that he's good enough at his age.

"Let's just hope they can sort something out for at least another season. I believe he wants to stay and I'm sure things will be sorted out in the next month.

"He'll be a very big miss in the next couple of games.

"He has a lot of leadership qualities, but we've played and won without him. We'd sooner have him in, but we'll have to cope.''

In underlining the value of Carbone, Ehiogu highlighted two other areas requiring urgent attention.

"The team needs another midfielder and another striker - plus Beni,'' said Ehiogu.

"We need more competition. I don't know the situation, but if we don't keep him we're another quality player down and you need to replace him.

"He's been asked to play just in front of midfield, his best position, supplying the strikers.

"It's difficult if you play him as a striker: it's like playing with one up front because he's deeper, so we need a striker as well.

"He gives us something we've been looking for. He's confident and has good technical ability. He's bubbly and enthusiastic in training - he spends hours shooting. It's time he did it in a game!

"But he's willing to fit in, he's a nice lad and things are going well for him.''

Boro climbed to tenth after Monday's 1-0 win at Derby and are now level on points with Villa, who are a place above them with a game in hand.

It was a bitter split for Ehiogu when he quit Villa for Boro in an £8m deal early last season.

But as he prepared for a testing time against Villa's new weapon, giant striker Peter Crouch, Ehiogu insisted: "I don't look at it as having the last laugh if we finish above them.

"We'll see where we finish. I have good memories of my time with Villa. I never get a good reception from the fans, but they can't spoil what I had there.

"Peter Crouch is with them and we warmed up nicely for him at Derby where everything was tossed in the air.''

Ehiogu is determined to press his claims for inclusion in England's World Cup squad despite a less than convincing performance in last week's defeat by Italy at Elland Road.

He admitted: I was surprised to be in the last squad. It was a big bonus because I didn't think I'd played enough games. It gives me a better chance.

"Good performances in the next two or three games will give me a chance of being in the next squad for the match with Paraguay. I'm still in the hunt - it's important to me.''

Central defensive partner Gareth Southgate, who followed Ehiogu from Villa to Boro last summer when he became England coach McClaren's first signing in a £6.5m deal, looks certain to travel to Japan and Korea.

Ehiogu said: "He's played the best of his career here in patches, especially when I've been suspended or injured.

"He's held the back together very well.

"He's given himself a good chance of starting for England. He's narrowed the gap and it's not as cut and dried as at the start of the season, which is a testament to Gareth and how well he's done and the progress he's made.

"We've worked very hard at the back but the two lads in front of us (Ince and Robbie Mustoe) have done very well.

"They've really worked hard to keep us in games and the lads up front have managed to come up with some goals.

"It's getting better here. The hard work, application and preparation have been spot on.

"Quality is the thing we're lacking. That's improving but there's a long way to go.

"We're not too dissimilar to Liverpool, but individually they have more quality.'

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