An injury-hit Charlton side saw their winless run extend to eight matches on Saturday afternoon as they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

George Saville scored the game's only goal inside the first minute as he condemned Lee Bowyer's side to another defeat, with the South London outfit now sitting 17th in the Championship table following a concerning run of form.

The Charlton boss was critical of his side's performance after the match as his side as his side struggled to assert themselves against Boro, but he pointed out that the return of striker Lyle Taylor from injury was one positive to take from the clash.

Taylor scored five goals in his first six games of the season before being sidelined with a knee injury in early September, and Bowyer said in his post-match press conference that he was pleased to see the striker make his comeback as a half-time substitute.

“First-half we were very, very bad. I made changes at half-time," he said to South London Press.

"I thought we were a but better second-half. Well, a lot better second-half than we were first-half. But again we were still not our normal selves. We’ll be in tomorrow, go through things and get it right for Tuesday

“The only positive I can take today is that Lyle came on and got 45 minutes into him. That’s the only positive. Apart from that, it was a bad day."

Taylor did not manage to find the net on his long-awaited return to the match-day squad, but his return will come as a massive boost for the Addicks given he has scored 30 goals in his 52 appearances for the London club.

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The Verdict

It was another miserable afternoon for Charlton as their wide-ranging injury problems continue to affect their form, but the whole squad will surely receive a boost following Taylor's return after more than three months out.

Macauley Bonne has looked a threat when leading Charlton's attacking line in Taylor's absence, but there can be no denying that Taylor is a talismanic figure for Charlton who rely on the 29-year-old's goalscoring exploits.

Bowyer will now be hoping that he can welcome a few more players back to fitness ahead of the busy festive period, while there is every chance Taylor could now start Charlton's next match as he continues his comeback.