Jonathan Woodgate says that he expects Britt Assombalonga to return to action for their next fixture against Blackburn Rovers.
The striker has been missing for several weeks as a result of an ankle injury picked up against Charlton Athletic at the start of December.
Since then the club have been using Ashley Fletcher as the club's first choice striker, while Rudy Gestede has also come into the first team fold as a strong back-up option.
The Mirror have claimed that Leeds United are eyeing a move for the striker, but given his current injury it remains to be seen whether that move will materialise.
Assuming that Middlesbrough can keep hold of him, Woodgate expects Assombalonga to return for the clash with Blackburn on February 1 - something which will be a real boost, according to the Boro boss.
Speaking to the press about Assombalonga,
as quoted by Hartlepool Mail, Woodgate said: “Britt trained today.
"He won’t be available for Tuesday, but he should be available for the next game against Blackburn which is two weeks away.
“I’m looking forward to having him back.
"He’s a really, really good player and you know what I think of Britt.”
Can you remember these former Middlesbrough strikers? Let's find out!
The verdict
The news of Britt Assombalonga's imminent return is a massive boost.
The Middlesbrough striker has been a big miss for Jonathan Woodgate's side in recent week as the six-goal striker sat on the sideline during the festive period.
In fairness to Ashley Fletcher, he has done an excellent job during Assombalonga's absence but there's no doubt that the injured star will be a huge addition to Jonathan Woodgate's squad.
For Fletcher, the task must now be on doing all that he can to ensure that he keeps his place in the starting XI when Assombalonga returns.
