Jonathan Woodgate confirms Daniel Ayala's Middlesbrough career is over

Ayala’s ongoing ankle problem meant he would not have been available for either this weekend’s game with Swansea or the following weekend’s trip to Stoke, and with the Spanish centre-half having informed Woodgate he would not be willing to play beyond the end of his current contract on June 30, he has been told not to continue reporting to the training ground.

Ayala is one of seven senior players due to become free agents at the end of the month – with George Friend, Ryan Shotton, Jonny Howson, Adam Clayton, Marvin Johnson and Rudy Gestede also approaching their end of their respective deals.

The six will have to sign short-term waivers enabling them to play beyond the end of June, and Woodgate is confident they will agree to see out the remainder of the season on Teesside. Hence his belief that they will all be involved this weekend.

“Hopefully, we’ll go with a fully-fit squad from the first game,” said Woodgate. “Like I’ve said with Dani, the players all have different agendas and things they want to do.

“Some players might already have spoken to other clubs about signing for their teams. You don’t know all the situations, but hopefully we’ll be going into this weekend’s game with a fully-fit squad and Dani the only one missing.”

Woodgate insists there has been no major falling-out with Ayala, but confirmed that the Spaniard had rejected Boro’s offer of a new contract in the autumn.

“Dani hasn’t been a problem or a hindrance or anything like that,” he said. “We offered Dani a contract in October, November time, but he didn’t want to sign it. I’ve got no problem with that at all.

“Dani has been injured now for getting on six months. He trained with the team for the first few days when we were social distancing, and then he trained for one session with the team and his ankle got sore.

“Dani said to me that he would be available to play in June, but he wouldn’t play in July. That is the whole truth of the matter.

“Different players make different decisions, I can’t speak for them. They’ve all got different things they’re thinking about, and whatever decisions they make, I respect those decisions.”

Ayala has spent the last six-and-a-half years with Boro, but he will head elsewhere later this summer, with Leeds United having been strongly linked with a deal.

“At the minute, Dani is not fit enough to be involved,” added Woodgate. “He still has pain in his ankle, and that pain has been there since January time now. It’s been there since he first did it against Preston (on New Year’s Day).

“He’s tried to come back, but he’s only trained once fully with the group. He trained the days when we were social distancing, but since we’ve been back with the group, he’s not really trained. He’s not fit enough to play in June, and he’s not going to play in July.”

Ayala’s absence limits Woodgate’s options at centre-half, but the Boro boss is confident he will be able to cope.

“Dani’s a really good footballer and we will miss him,” he said. “But I’ve got other players to step in – Harold Moukoudi, Ryan Shotton and Dael Fry.”