WITH Middlesbrough short of options at left-back, Neil Warnock is will be hopeful Marc Bola passes a fitness test today in time for their trip to Coventry City.

Bola picked up a knock in the draw against Blackburn Rovers just before the international break and has been recovering since.

Boro are searching the free agent market for a left-back to act as cover for Bola but have been unsuccessful thus far. Lee Peltier is also a potential option at left-back.

While the Boro boss will be hopeful of a recovery, he says he won't be making any rash decisions on Bola's fitness given the current left-back predicament he finds himself in.

Warnock said: “He only came on the grass yesterday so I’ll have a look today to see what the situation is but we won’t be rushing into anything if there is any doubts whatsoever.

“I don’t think it’s a time for that when we are so short in that area.

“I won’t be asking him to play if he’s not fit so we’ll make a decision later on today."

It's not been a great few weeks for Bola having picked up the knock at the Riverside and being charged by the FA with misconduct for a nine year old tweet. 

In relation to the charge, Warnock said: “It’s not a nice thing for him to happen but you’ve got to deal with it and look to the future really and I think that’s what he’s doing."

Elsewhere, Sammy Ameobi's knee problem doesn't seem to have improved while Marcus Browne is now out training on the grass at Rockliffe as he recovers from his own knee injury. 

Duncan Watmore was recently out of the side with a miscle injury and while the Boro boss says he's still battling back to full fitness, he insists he would be ready to be called upon for the trip to the Ricoh Arena. 

Warnock added: “I’m not sure Duncan is one hundred per cent at the minute but he’s working really hard so it wouldn’t worry me starting him tomorrow."