MICHAEL CARRICK is yet to hold talks over Lewis O’Brien’s future beyond the end of the season, but the Middlesbrough boss admits it is getting towards the point where decisions ahead of the summer will have to be made.

O’Brien is on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest, and while he was sidelined for almost four months because of a combination of leg and ankle injuries, he has returned to play an increasingly prominent role in the last few weeks.

The 25-year-old is contracted to the City Ground until the summer of 2026, but there is every chance he will be deemed surplus to requirements by current Nottingham Forest Nuno Espirito Santo.

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Whether Boro could afford to buy him remains to be seen given that Forest shelled out a reported £9m to sign him from Huddersfield Town in the summer of 2022, but while the situation has not yet been discussed, Carrick accepts it will have to be addressed soon.

“There hasn’t been any (talks) at this stage, but of course we are getting towards that stage where we start to firm plans up for next season,” said the Boro head coach. “We’ll see.

“To be honest, with Lewis, the focus is more on getting him back fit, getting him enjoying his football and getting him back to his best. He’s on his way to doing that.”

O’Brien’s future was cast into doubt when he was injured in the win at Watford at the end of September, and there were suggestions at the time that he could return to Nottingham Forest.

Carrick insists that was never considered, and cites the midfielder’s determination to battle his way back to fitness at Boro as proof of his professionalism and commitment.

“There was never a consideration for him going back to Forest, not at all,” he said. “I think, how Lewis is as a man, as a person - his character and his attitude - he’s thrown himself into being a player here and making it his home.

“That wasn’t easy given that he suffered the injury after just five games. So, I can’t speak highly enough of him in terms of how hard he’s worked and how good he’s been around the group, even when he was injured.

“That’s all down to him, and hopefully he will continue to get his rewards for that and will be a big player for us in the coming weeks. We know what he can do, and we know what he is capable of.”