Carrick Provides Update Ahead of Portsmouth Clash
Boro head coach, Michael Carrick, expresses optimism regarding the potential inclusion of Emmanuel Latte Lath and Ben Doak in the squad for the upcoming match against Portsmouth, despite ongoing transfer speculation.
As reported by Teesside Live, Carrick's comments come amid increasing interest in the duo, which has sparked discussions about their futures at the club.
The situation concerning Doak appears to have stabilised, largely due to Liverpool's hefty £30 million asking price, which seems to be deterring potential suitors. This development has provided Middlesbrough with renewed hope of retaining Doak for the remainder of the season. Carrick confirmed that Doak is expected to return to the squad this weekend after being rested during last week's FA Cup defeat to Blackburn Rovers.
In contrast, Latte Lath has attracted attention following a formal transfer offer from Atlanta United, reportedly valued at £20 million. While negotiations between the two clubs are ongoing, Latte Lath remains firmly a Middlesbrough player and is likely to feature at Fratton Park unless significant changes occur before the match.
Carrick affirmed this, stating, "Yeah, 100% [he'll be involved at the weekend]. He's 100% with us. Manu is our player, he's trained fantastic this week. Very, very well this week actually. He's looking forward to the game on Saturday."
Addressing Doak's situation, Carrick commented, "We understand the situation. From our point of view, there's zero distractions. Ben has been the same; he's trained fantastically well. I'm happy and delighted with the way it's going."
In terms of player fitness, The Northern Echo has reported that both Aidan Morris and Luke Ayling may be in contention for the match against Portsmouth. Morris has been recovering from a knee injury sustained during international duty, while Ayling has been sidelined since last month’s fixture against Millwall. Both players are back in training, although it remains uncertain whether they will start or be included on the bench.
Tommy Conway is still in recovery and is not yet ready for match action, but Carrick expressed optimism about his progress, suggesting that "it won't be too long" before he is available.
Carrick remarked on the returning players: "Aidan is back training and Luke is back training too. They've not had an awful lot of sessions between them yet, but they are back, so that's a positive step for both of them. Seny has taken his training a step further as well, which is another positive. Gradually, it's getting a little better."
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Seny Dieng will not feature in the upcoming game, whilst Jonny Howson still remains unavailable.