Middlesbrough's impressive run of form in the Championship continued last Saturday as they swept aside Blackpool at the Riverside Stadium.

A brace from Chuba Akpom and an effort from Paddy McNair sealed a 3-0 victory for Boro in front of their own supporters.

Having climbed up to third in the league standings under the guidance of head coach Michael Carrick, Middlesbrough can now be considered as legitimate contenders for promotion to the Premier League.

Whereas Boro may have to rely on achieving a return to this division via the play-offs, there is still a chance that they could close the gap between them and Sheffield United who occupy the second automatic promotion spot.

Regardless of what division his side finds themselves in next season, Carrick will need to make some decisions regarding the futures of existing members of his squad.

One of the individuals who is out-of-contract this summer is Darnell Fisher.

Signed by Middlesbrough in 2021, Fisher initially made an encouraging start to life at the Riverside Stadium as he made 12 appearances during the second half of this particular campaign.

Unfortunately for Fisher, he suffered a serious knee injury which resulted in him missing the entirety of the 2021/22 season.

Fisher would have been hoping to make his return to action during the current term.

However, despite the fact that he has made strides in terms of his recovery in recent months by participating in training, the defender has yet to be selected to play at senior level by Carrick.

In the latest update shared by the Boro boss regarding Fisher, he revealed that he is refusing to put a timescale on the defender's return.

With there being no guarantee that the 28-year-old will be able to rediscover the performance levels that he demonstrated earlier in his career, it could be argued that Middlesbrough should be looking to part ways with him at the end of May.

Fisher is likely to find it extremely difficult to force his way into the side when he is fully fit as Tommy Smith has established himself as the club's first-choice right-back since Carrick's arrival.

Given that Isaiah Jones and Anfernee Dijksteel are also both capable of operating in this particular role, first team opportunities for Fisher will be scarce if he remains at the Riverside Stadium.

Keeping this in mind, it may be beneficial for both parties if the defender departs.

By sealing a move to a team who are willing to utilise him on a regular basis, Fisher could reignite his career following what has been an extremely frustrating period for him.

As for Middlesbrough, they could potentially use the money freed up from their wage bill as a result of this call on Fisher's future to reinvest in their squad over the course of the summer.