Middlesbrough head coach Jonathan Woodgate has confirmed that captain George Friend is unlikely to return to action for at least two months after undergoing surgery.

The 31-year-old has missed the last five matches for Middlesbrough and Woodgate has claimed that he is now set for an extended spell on the sidelines, after undergoing surgery on a thigh injury last week.

The experienced defender missed the end of last season with the same injury, although he returned to action against Blackburn Rovers last month.

However, the left-back has not featured for the club since then and the medical staff at the Riverside Stadium decided that surgery was his best option.

Woodgate has now confirmed that Friend unlikely to return to action for at least two months - until after the November international break.

George will be a couple of months,” said Woodgate, as quoted by the Hartlepool Mail.

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However, the Middlesbrough boss also revealed that left-back Hayden Coulson is making steady progress following a thigh injury and is hopeful that the defender will be able to return to action against West Bromwich Albion on October 19.

Hayden will be back after the international break, West Brom touch wood, no complications.”

Middlesbrough finished seventh in the Championship under Tony Pulis last season, one point outside the play-offs, and missed out on a top-six finish on the final day of the campaign.

Boro are currently 15th in the Championship table after taking nine points from their opening eight league matches and will be looking for a win against Sheffield Wednesday in their next game.

The Verdict

This is a blow for Middlesbrough. Friend has been an important player for Boro over the past few years and he'll be a big miss for the next few matches.

It's a major blow for the player too. The injury saw him miss the end of last season but he worked really hard over the summer and it looked as though he was over the worst of it when he returned to action against Blackburn last month.

Hopefully he can recover quickly and get his season back on track when he returns to action, as he could have an important role to play for Middlesbrough this term.