Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock says the club are having to be careful in how they use on loan Manchester City winger Patrick Roberts, due to his recent injury problems.

Roberts, who has endured an injury hit career so far, has made just two appearances for 'Boro since returning to the club on a season-long loan during the January transfer window, having previously spent the second half of last season at The Riverside Stadium.

That lack of game time apparently down to the fact that tests have shown the player's muscles to be fatigued after he has played, with Roberts being rested between appearances, and it seems that pattern could continue for some time yet.

Discussing that issue around Roberts ahead of 'Boro's clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, Warnock told the Hartlepool Mail: "It’s going to be like that for a few weeks on and off because he’s a player who puts everything into it.

“We have to be careful because we don’t want him to do anything to his hamstring, we have that many games between now and January. I think we just have to bite our tongue at times and realise that he can’t do week in week out.”

'Boro go into the game with Forest off the back of a seven-match unbeaten run, which has put them eighth, one point off the play-offs, in the current Championship standings.
The Verdict
You have to feel that this is a hugely frustrating situation for all concerned.
For Middlesbrough, you feel they would like to use a player with Roberts' ability and influence as much as possible, but it seems clear they cannot do that at the minute, and it is good to see they are not taking any risks over the winger's fitness.
Roberts as well will no disappointed by this, given he surely wants to be playing as much as possible in order to prove to everyone that he does deserve a chance at as high a level as possible.
It seems however, as though both parties are going to have to bide their time over this one, in the hope that some sort of breakthrough eventually comes for the Manchester City loanee.