AS Middlesbrough continue their uphill battle of reaching the Championship play-offs with an injury hit squad, Chris Wilder has opened up his inquest into why players keep picking up training ground injuries.

Boro have been plagued by injuries to a number of first-team players throughout the season as Dael Fry, Grant Hall, Anfernee Dijksteel, Marc Bola, Martin Payero, Uche Ikpeazu and more have all spent time out of the side.

The Boro boss is yet to see a number of players in action and doesn’t expect to welcome back anyone off the treatment table in time for the trip to Huddersfield Town.

As with any manager, injuries will make there lives much harder and the job more tasking.

Wilder has had over a two weeks with his players but he hasn’t been able to cast his eye over a number of them due to being on treatment table. He admits this has been a problem at the club for quite some time.

The 54-year-old said: “We talked at length regarding the injury situation and how we need it to be for me to make those tough decisions, for me to look behind me and see we have some good players coming off the bench and some good players left out of the squad.

“At the moment that's not the case. It's a process we're going through, we're looking at the medical department. As always, it's a difficult situation when you come in midway through a season or third of the way through because you have to assess everything and still try and get that result.

“There's a couple that we will assess but one of the major things we need to address to be successful going forward is the health of the players, the robustness of them, even from a recruitment point of view, looking at their past history.

“We're not going to take huge gambles on players. We might do certain situations and certain options might appear to us - appearance related or whatever. But when we construct the squad, it's important it's healthy, robust and fit for purpose and ready to last 46 games knowing you will pick some injuries up.

“But everyone realises watching this club there have been far too many players injured and they are no good for us on the treatment table.

“I think it's been the situation with previous managers as well. It's gone from one manager to the other to the other. I think everyone realises why I've been brought in for the long term.

“So it's important that we get that right from a fitness and conditioning point of view but quality in the staff as well, so I'm assessing what their roles and responsibilities are as well.”

While Wilder remained tight lipped on the number of players carrying knocks, he does expect Andraz Sporar and Duncan Watmore to be available for the trip to the John Smith’s Stadium.

Boro are 15th in the table and sit eight points outside the play-offs.