MICHAEL Carrick insists Middlesbrough's injury crisis hasn't forced the club to change their plans ahead of the coming January transfer window - with the head coach hopeful of having several of his absent stars available again come the turn of the year.

Boro could be without as many as eight key first team players for tomorrow's game against Ipswich Town because of injury - with Carrick's team selection further complicated due to Anfernee Dijksteel and Isaiah Jones having to serve suspensions.

It's been one setback after another for Boro on the injury front in recent weeks, with Tommy Smith and Darragh Lenihan unlikely to play again this season, Lewis O'Brien still facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Marcus Forss and Riley McGree having not played since October and Dael Fry, Hayden Hackney and Paddy McNair all pulling up recently.

Despite that lengthy injury list, Carrick insists Boro won't abandon their long-term plan to fix short-term issues in January. That's not to say they won't strengthen in positions where they've been left short. Boro are understood, for example, to be keen on adding a defender, but that was already identified as an area that potentially needed attention in the winter window, with Paddy McNair's contract due to expire at the end of the season.

And - promisingly - Carrick hopes several of his players who are currently injured will be back in action by the time the window opens.

Carrick said: "I think you have to be careful with the injuries. Yeah, certainly at this moment in time we are missing quite a few but we're hoping by the time the window comes around we'll have a good few of them back,.

"Just because you lose a player for a number of weeks or a couple of months doesn't mean you need to get one in. That's always the balance anyway, so I don't think it dramatically changes our plans.

"It's just unfortunate when you have got a lot of injuries that it is outside the window and it is probably typical that everyone is back come January."

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That's not to say Boro won't be ready to to react to circumstances come January.

Carrick said: "Anything can happen. We'll prepare as well as we feel we can for different scenarios and balance within the squad and I think to be honest the balance and quality of the teams we've been able to put out considering we've had seven, eight, nine, 10 players missing is credit to the squad and the calibre of player we have.

"But it is impossible to know what's going to happen in the next few weeks. Hopefully we'll have more to choose from in January but I have absolutely no problems with who is available now. We have a good team and good balance and I'm still looking forward to the games ahead."

Meanwhile, Carrick says he will decide down the line what the best course of action is for Matthew Hoppe after the striker returned to Boro this week.

The American has had a stint back in his homeland with San Jose Earthquakes, who opted against making the deal permanent. Hoppe is now back on Teesside, but isn't available to play until January.

Carrick said: “It’s awkward timing for him because there is nothing Matthew can do until January. He is here and back training with us, staying fit. We’ll then have to see what’s next for him.”