MIDDLESBROUGH defender Dael Fry is winning his battle to complete his recovery from injury in time to feature in tomorrow night’s must-win game against Cardiff City.

Fry has missed the last three games with a calf injury, but is due to take part in a full training session with the rest of Boro’s first-team squad this morning.

Provided the Teessider comes through that unscathed, he will go straight back into the team for tomorrow’s crucial game at the Riverside.

Boro boss Chris Wilder said: “We’ve got no additional problems. We’re expecting Tav (Marcus Tavernier) to train this morning. He rolled his ankle on Saturday, but he’ll be fine.

“We’re also hoping Dael trains this morning and makes himself available for Wednesday night. If he doesn’t make that, he’ll definitely be available for the weekend.”

Boro take on Cardiff tomorrow knowing they will almost certainly need to take all three points to have any chance of finishing in a play-off place.

Having failed to win any of their last four matches, Boro are five points adrift of sixth-placed Sheffield United and two points behind seventh-placed Blackburn Rovers and eighth-placed Millwall. At this stage, however, they have played one fewer game than all three teams.

Wilder said: “Is it a season-defining game? Yes. One hundred per cent. You can’t get away from that. We understand these are big games.

“The players have done fabulously well, and I think me and the coaching staff have squeezed everything out of them. There’s still an enormous amount of work to be done medium and long-term, and I’ll address that when the time is right.

“But there’s still a huge prize that we’re going for. When you get to three games and you’re still in the mix, that has to be your one and only focus.”