CHRIS WILDER intends to launch an investigation into why the Middlesbrough squad has been decimated by injuries this season – with the number of soft-muscle problems understood to have been an issue that the club hierarchy raised with Neil Warnock during the final stages of his reign.
A number of Boro players have been sidelined through injury this term, with the defence a particular area of concern. Anfernee Dijksteel, Grant Hall, Dael Fry and Marc Bola have all suffered muscular problems since the start of the season, with Paddy McNair and Duncan Watmore also having been sidelined because of injury issues. Sammy Ameobi signed for Middlesbrough in the summer but is yet to kick a ball for the club because he has not been deemed fit enough to participate.
Wilder is looking into why so many problems have occurred, and while some injuries, such as the knee-ligament problem that has sidelined Marcus Browne since last season, are unavoidable, there is clearly a concern that some others might have been less of an issue had other practices or methods been adopted.
“Is the squad imbalanced because of injuries? Of course, it is,” said the new Boro boss. “That’s something that has been an issue for the previous manager, so we’ve got to look at that because we want the best players out on the pitch. Hopefully, we can get to the bottom of that. Some are impact injuries that you can’t do anything about, but some are muscle injuries where we have to look to try to connect that department back into the football club.”
Wilder has been working on the training ground in the last seven days, with his long-term assistant, Alan Knill, having taken on a prominent coaching role. The new Boro boss has also appointed Matt Prestridge, who is involved with both coaching and sports science.
Kevin Blackwell and Ronnie Jepson left when Warnock departed, but Leo Percovich remains on the coaching staff along with the same medical, sports science and analytical staff that worked under Wilder’s predecessor.
Some managers like to bring in an entirely new backroom team when they move to a new club, but Wilder is happy to work with the staff he inherited.
“We’ve talked to the existing staff, and we’re very inclusive with them,” he said. “I’ve done that at previous clubs - they are the experts in their field."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here