MIDDLESBROUGH defender Chris Riggott makes a quicker return to action than expected this evening.

The centre-back has not played since picking up a knee injury in the 1-1 draw with Everton on March 1.

Riggott underwent an operation soon after, but he makes his speedy comeback for the reserves when Sheffield Wednesday visit the Riverside this evening.

The injury picked up by Riggott could not have come at a worse time for the Derby County man, who will make his loan move permanent at the end of the current campaign for £2m.

The former England Under-21 international had made an immediate impact at Boro, scoring two goals in only his second appearance when the Teessiders beat North-East neighbours Sunderland 3-1.

His capture from Pride Park coincided with Steve McClaren's men ending an horrific run of form and it heralded the start of their six-match unbeaten spell.

But Riggott is not expected to challenge for a first team recall for a couple of weeks yet.

The man who replaced him at the heart of the Boro defence, Ugo Ehiogu, has revealed the pain he felt when he was out for two months.

Ehiogu suffered a punctured lung and fractured ribs in the New Year's Day fixture at Blackburn and did not start again until entering the fray as Riggott's replacement against Everton.

And the former Aston Villa man, who was left out of Sven-Goran Eriksson's latest England squad, admitted at one stage he thought he would struggle to recover from the injuries.

"It effected my laughing, my breathing, my lying down, it was agony," said the 30-year-old.

"I had to shut myself out of football for two weeks because I could not see any light at the end of the tunnel. I was in so much pain.

"For the first week I could not even sleep. If I moved it would literally take me five minutes to get up. There were many difficulties.

"There was fluid and air in the lung and that was the most serious because I knew the ribs would heal naturally.

"My girlfriend Jemma was excellent, she had to lift me out of bed on occasions and I became completely dependent on her. That is not easy when you are an athlete.

"I had breathing apparatus to take in oxygen for me. I had to take it every half hour."

Meanwhile, Boro have been linked with an interest in Portuguese winger Jose Bosingwa.

The 20-year-old played the full 90 minutes of his country's Under-21s 4-2 win over England on Friday.

And Boro boss Steve McClaren is thought to be an admirer of the Boavista man's talents.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.