Middlesbrough suffer costly injury blow ahead of Portsmouth showdown - but ex-Southampton man could return
Pompey head to promotion-chasing Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon.
Alex Bangura has handed Middlesbrough a costly injury blow ahead of Saturday’s huge showdown against Pompey.
But Boro boss Kim Hellberg is hopeful of welcoming back former Southampton defender Matt Targett for the Riverside Stadium contest.
The Blues sit just one point above the relegation zone and face a Middlesbrough side who dropped out of the automatic promotion spots over the Easter weekend.
However, Premier League-chasing Boro will be without Bangura, who suffered a fresh injury set-back during their stalemate with mid-table Swansea City on Monday.
The left-back sustained a muscular issue off the ball in south Wales and was withdrawn on the half-hour mark on what was his first start since New Year’s Day.
Indeed, it was an action-packed 30 minutes for the Sierra Leone international, who scored the opener at the Swansea.com Stadium before giving away a penalty after a rash tackle in the box.
Middlesbrough suffer injury blow ahead of Pompey
But Bangura is now set for a spell on the sidelines, continuing his wretched injury luck, with separate issues restricing him to just 11 outings this term.
And Hellberg has admitted it is still too early to know the full extent of his latest blow, which will likely keep him out of Pompey’s visit to the north east on Saturday.
The Boro boss told Teesside Live: It’s too early to say. Of course he is distraught.
‘You go out after being injured, you go back and do those 25 minutes, you're looking like a Roberto Carlos left-back again and it’s tough.
‘I feel very sorry for him. He’s a brilliant boy and a brilliant footballer. Hopefully it’s not that bad.’
Middlesbrough boss hoping ex-Southampton man can return for Pompey showdown
Bangura is the latest member of Hellberg’s squad to join the treatment room at the Riverside Stadium at a crucial point of the season.
Middlesbrough are already without star midfielder Hayden Hackney; forwards Morgan Whittaker and Leo Castledine as well as former Pompey loanee Sammy Silvera, with the quartet nursing respective injury issues.
But the promotion-chasing outfit could welcome back Targett, who sat out Monday’s draw with Swansea due to an undisclosed set-back, sustained in their Good Friday defeat to Millwall.
Hellberg, though, is hoping to have the full-back, who came through the ranks with Southampton, in his squad for the Blues’ visit this weekend.
‘He missed out because of the injury he suffered in the Millwall game. Hopefully he is back for Saturday. That’s the aim.’