MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Michael Carrick faces an anxious injury wait on two left-backs ahead of Middlesbrough's trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday.

Lukas Engel missed Saturday's defeat at Blackburn with a foot injury and his replacement Alex Bangura was forced off in the second half of his debut with a hamstring complaint.

“Lukas got a bang on his foot during the week, so he was just a little bit short for today," said Carrick after the defeat at Ewood Park.

"Hopefully he will be back in and around it early next week. Alex went off feeling his hamstring, but hopefully that was just cramp. At this stage though I’m not sure."

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Paddy McNair has also been nursing a slight problem, with the Northern Ireland international having dropped to the bench at Blackburn.

Carrick said: "Paddy took a knock during the international break as well, but he was well enough to make the bench today, so I’m sure there will be no setbacks for him."

Carrick also explained his thinking in playing Lewis O'Brien in a wide left role at Ewood Park. The Nottingham Forest loanee is more known as a central midfielder, but, making his first appearance for Boro, the 24-year-old was used out wide and struggled to make an impact.

“We wanted to put Lewis in. We believe he suits playing as an attacking midfielder, but there was also the thought of him helping us try and be a bit more solid and then grow into the game," said Boro's head coach.

"It probably didn’t prove to be the case really. Although we did grow into the game more second half, that wasn’t down to Lewis. But the decision to put him there was a little tweak really and nothing major."