JACK HARRISON is unlikely to feature in Middlesbrough’s Easter programme after withdrawing from the England Under-21 squad with an abdominal problem.

Harrison was struggling with the muscular injury when he reported for international duty last week, and was not involved in England’s 2-1 win over Romania on Saturday.

It was hoped he would have recovered sufficiently to make the squad for tomorrow’s European Championships qualifier with Ukraine, but the injury is still causing him problems and he was formally withdrawn from the game earlier this afternoon.

An FA statement said: “Jack Harrison has withdrawn from the England Under-21 squad due to injury. The Manchester City forward, currently on loan at Middlesbrough, sat out of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Romania with a minor abdominal strain and has returned to Teesside to be assessed.”

The injury is the latest setback Harrison has had to deal with since cutting short his spell with MLS side New York City in January.

Since joining Middlesbrough on loan at the end of the transfer window, the attacking midfielder has managed just 33 minutes of competitive action spread across substitute appearances against Cardiff City and Sunderland.

The 21-year-old has yet to make a senior start in a Boro shirt, but while he would have been unlikely to start either of the Teessiders’ Easter games – Championship leaders Wolves visit the Riverside on Good Friday before Boro head to Burton Albion on Bank Holiday Monday – he would almost certainly have been named on the bench.

That now looks unlikely, with Harrison due to receive some treatment tomorrow, although a final decision on his possible participation on Friday will not be taken until later in the week.