GARRY MONK has confirmed that Middlesbrough striker Rudy Gestede is facing a spell on the sidelines after a “freak” training ground collision left him hospitalised.

The former Aston Villa forward has had to undergo surgery on his leg after bleeding was suffered following a clash during a session at Rockliffe Park last Saturday.

When the problem refused to disappear he was required to have surgery and he remains in hospital, waiting to learn how long he is likely to be unavailable.

Middlesbrough boss Garry Monk, whose side travel to Bolton on Saturday without Gestede, said: “It was a bit of a freak. He trained Saturday, picked up a dead leg after a clash of a knee on to his thigh. It’s been more excessively bleeding than normal.

“He had a minor operation to relieve the pressure on his thigh. We don’t know the extent or the length of time he will be out. I have seen many dead legs but this was quite a freak one, a re-bleed if you like.

“Normally after compression, ice, it goes back to normal. He came back in and was doing fine and was bleeding again, we don’t know in terms of the timeframe.

"He is still in hospital to allow the swelling to go down. We think it could be sooner rather than later, but until it has fully stopped we will not know.”

Monk also confirmed £9m striker Martin Braithwaite remains unavailable with the hamstring tear he suffered against Wolves on the opening weekend of the season last month.

He added: “Martin is recovering really well. We expect him not to make the game at weekend, but by the end of next week he should be back on the grass.”

Middlesbrough will head to the Macron Stadium to face Bolton knowing they can call on Ben Gibson, Adama Traore and Grant Leadbitter if Monk decides to.

All three attracted strong interest before the transfer window closed from other clubs, while Adam Forshaw and Stewart Downing were others who could easily have left.

Monk is just satisfied the window has closed after an eventful first summer in charge when he has changed the face of the squad by bringing in a number of new players and moving on some of the old guard.

He said: “It has been an exciting window, productive, whenever you go into a window it is a little of the unknown.

"You know what you would like to do, when I spoke to the club we wanted to change the dynamic of the squad, take it into a different direction. It’s alright saying it, it’s another thing making it happen.

“To come through the meetings and have a massive transition in the squad, which is not ideal sometimes, but it needed to be done, and the players we have brought in have been a different calibre.

“We have created value in the young players, we have talent in the young players. Now the improvements need to take place in the performances, it does take time. Exciting for the club.”