Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock has revealed that Andraz Sporar substitution in yesterday's clash with Barnsley was a precautionary measure as the forward felt an issue with his hip in the second-half of the game.

Since joining Middlesbrough on a temporary basis earlier this year, Sporar has struggled to deliver the goods on a consistent basis in the Championship.

The forward finally managed to showcase his talent against Barnsley last night as he scored his second goal for the club in the first-half of this particular fixture.

Sporar planted a header past Tykes goalkeeper Brad Collins to give his side the lead.

Matt Crooks then sealed all three points in the closing stages of the clash by doubling his side's advantage at the Riverside Stadium.

Set to face Cardiff on Saturday, Middlesbrough will be determined to back up their recent victories over Peterborough United and Barnsley by producing a positive performance against Mick McCarthy's side.

Ahead of this showdown, Warnock has provided an update on Sporar's fitness.

Speaking to Teesside Live following his side's 2-0 victory over Barnsley about the 27-year-old, Warnock said: "He felt his abductor on international duty and he said he felt it again so we said he better come straight off.

"I said to him and Duncan at half-time, I don’t want you like against Blackpool where your stats were terrible second half. They could have played with a fag in.

"I said, ‘run around until your cream crackered and then come off when you’re knackered'.

"I thought he did.

"I thought he and Watmore were excellent up top closing down.”

The Verdict

Middlesbrough will be hoping that Sporar will be able to overcome this particular issue in the coming days as he managed to produce an eye-catching performance against Barnsley.

As well as scoring in this particular fixture, the Slovenian provided three key passes for his team-mates as he recorded a WhoScored match rating of 7.63.

By finding the back of the net on a regular basis for Middlesbrough in the coming months, the forward could help his side achieve a great deal of success in the second-tier.

If Sporar is fit enough to feature this weekend, Boro will unquestionably fancy their chances of securing all three points in their showdown with Cardiff as McCarthy's side have lost their last seven league games.