MIDDLESBROUGH’S frustration at last weekend’s controversial defeat at Swansea City has intensified after Anfernee Dijksteel was ruled out of the rest of the season with an injury sustained at the Liberty Stadium.

Dijksteel suffered an ankle injury after he was caught in an off-the-ball challenge from Ryan Manning that went unpunished in the opening five minutes of last Saturday’s game in South Wales.

The Boro defender tried to continue after receiving some on-pitch treatment, but was eventually forced to concede defeat and hobble off injured.

He left the Liberty Stadium wearing a protective boot, and scans have revealed damage to the ankle joint that will prevent him from appearing again this season.

Referee Gavin Ward’s failure to punish Manning for the challenge that damaged Dijksteel’s ankle was one of three crucial decisions Boro boss Neil Warnock felt went against his team last weekend.

As well as missing Manning’s foul, Ward also disallowed Marc Bola’s first-half effort even though Yannick Bolasie clearly took the ball as he set up the full-back’s strike and awarded Swansea a decisive stoppage-time penalty even though he had signalled to award a corner before changing his mind amid pressure from the home side’s players.

“It’s a real blow to lose Anfernee like this,” said Warnock. “I’m disappointed the incident wasn’t picked up by the officials. I think the video clip says it all.”

Dijksteel has already had to endure two injury breaks this season, and his absence for the remainder of the campaign will be a major blow to Boro’s faltering play-off hopes.

The former Charlton defender has arguably been the club’s most-improved player this term, impressing at centre-half and full-back.

His unavailability means Warnock is likely to field Grant Hall alongside Dael Fry and Paddy McNair at centre-half, with January signing Darnell Fisher restored to the starting line-up at right wing-back.

Boro return to action with back-to-back home games against Stoke City and Preston on Saturday and Tuesday, before a trip to Millwall precedes the start of the international break.