ADAMA TRAORE spent part of this evening in James Cook Hospital after suffering a suspected dislocated shoulder in Middlesbrough’s abandoned game with Sunderland.

Boro’s penultimate pre-season friendly was aborted at half-time after a torrential downpour swept across the Riverside, but there was time for Traore to sustain an injury that could put his anticipated move away from Teesside in doubt.

The winger fell awkwardly after colliding with Glen Loovens close to the halfway line, and while he continued for another five minutes or so, he was in obvious pain as he fell on his shoulder again close to the touchline.

He went straight down the tunnel after trudging along the touchline, and an initial examination suggested his shoulder had popped out of place. As a result, he was immediately sent to hospital for a more detailed set of scans that should reveal the full extent of the damage.

Wolves have been lining up an offer of around £18m that would trigger a buyout clause in Traore’s contract, but are likely to demand strong assurances about the winger’s well-being before lodging a formal bid.

Similarly, while Huddersfield have also been linked with a possible move for the Spaniard, they are unlikely to make a move until the extent of the damage to Traore’s shoulder becomes clear.

“His shoulder popped out,” said Pulis. “I can remember going back to Ricardo Fuller at Stoke, his shoulder popped out and he played the next game. We’re not sure how bad it is, but we’ve taken him to hospital as a precaution.

“If there’s anything he needs having done, we’ll make sure that he has it straight away. We don’t expect him to be out too long.

“I think everybody wants him to be here, especially me. But we have to do what we have to do, and I think everybody knows he has a clause in his contract. If that money is reached, then it’s almost taken out of the club’s hands. I have great respect for the boy, and everyone here is hoping and praying that he stays.”

As well as monitoring Traore’s situation, Boro will spend the final week-and-a-half of the transfer window trying to make a couple of signings of their own.

Pulis has recruited Aden Flint and Paddy McNair so far this summer, but is keen to make another couple of additions, with full-back and wide midfield likely to be priority positions.

“I really think we need an injection of a couple of players, just to give everything a bit of a boost,” said the Boro boss. “It’s difficult. It’s a difficult market out there because the money that people are paying is just phenomenal.

“There’s big risks. Last year, the money that Steve spent is still there. You’re looking at it, and it’s about working for the football club and trying to get it sorted out so we don’t get in a very bad position.”

Boro play their final pre-season game at Hartlepool United tomorrow afternoon, and Pulis has altered his plans in the wake of tonight’s abandonment.

The game at Victoria Park had initially been regarded as something of a second-string outing, but Pulis now intends the play the vast majority of tonight’s starting line-up for at least 45 minutes.

“I haven’t seen anything like that (the thunder and lightning) before,” he said. “It was forecast, and we knew we could get hit with a storm. They said it was going to come round about eight o’clock, and they weren’t too far away from that happening.

“The referee had said before he wasn’t going to take any risks with the public and the people on the pitch playing. The players were desperate to get out there and play and get the 90 minutes in.

“We’ve just been through their stats, looking at whether people have got the minutes that we want them to have before the season starts. The ones who haven’t, who started tonight, will play for 45 minutes at Hartlepool. It’ll be a pretty strong side at Hartlepool.”