NEIL WARNOCK admitted Famara Diedhiou’s display highlighted what Middlesbrough are lacking as the Bristol City striker helped inflict serious damage to the Teessiders’ promotion push.

Diedhiou scored two goals and set up another as Bristol City claimed a 3-1 win at the Riverside to leave Boro three points adrift of the play-off places, with the two sides immediately above them in the table meeting tonight.

Boro were linked with a possible move for Diedhiou is last month’s transfer window, and while a deal was not particularly close, Warnock admits his side desperately needs a more potent goalscoring threat.

“I thought our front three were very good at Reading on Saturday – I thought they were a waste of time tonight,” said the Boro boss. “A waste of time.

“Give me (Ivan) Toney, (Colin) Kazim-Richards or Diedhiou, any of those three. I think we win the game tonight with any of those three. I’ve always said that. I’ve said it all season.

“We’re making three strides forward then coming back two. We looked at two or three different strikers (in January), and that just shows what we need. It shows what we need for next season, whatever happens. We can’t go with what we’ve got.”

To make matters worse, Ashley Fletcher was forced off in the opening 25 minutes of last night’s game and will have a scan on his latest muscular problem later today.

“I’m disappointed that Fletcher had to come off because I asked him yesterday whether he was 100 per cent sure that he could start the game and give me an hour,” said Warnock. “He said yes, and he’s been in this morning and the physio said he was okay.

“But I could tell within three or four minutes that he wasn’t right, and then he’s come off after 20 minutes or so. He’ll have to have a scan now and we’ll see what it is.

"I should have gone with my instincts really."