Rudy Gestede has urged Britt Assombalonga and Patrick Bamford to fire Middlesbrough to promotion this season, after it was confirmed that the French striker would be out for the remainder of the campaign through injury.  

Middlesbrough were dealt the crushing news yesterday that Gestede had fractured an ankle, which means he will now miss the rest of the Sky Bet Championship campaign and Boro’s push for promotion.

The Frenchman took to Twitter to deliver a message following the news, admitting he was gutted to be missing out on the play-off push, before urging two of his teammates to fire Boro up the table.

Gestede, 29, singled out Assombalonga and Bamford, who will now be tasked with carrying the goalscoring burden in his absence.

Tony Pulis’ side benefitted from a fine Gestede performance in their last outing, with the striker netting twice in the 3-1 victory over Hull City during the week, which moved Boro within three points of the top-six heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures.

Boro travel to the Stadium of Light this afternoon to face a struggling Sunderland, with Pulis’ side going in search of back-to-back victories in the Championship for the first time since December.

The Verdict

Gestede is clearly gutted about his injury, which is a huge blow for Boro in their quest for play-off football.

However, the striker’s message to Assombalonga and Bamford is a touch of class, and a sign that everyone at the Riverside is pulling in the same direction.

It will be a big end to the season for Boro, who even with Gestede’s absence will be confident of securing top-six.

Middlesbrough fans… Let us know your thoughts!