Boro keeper Darren Randolph set for month out

Posted Friday, October 25, 2019 by PA

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Darren Randolph is out of Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship clash with Fulham as he faces up to as much as a month on the sidelines.

The Republic of Ireland international damaged a thigh muscle in training and missed Wednesday night’s 0-0 draw at Huddersfield as a result, and head coach Jonathan Woodgate expects him to be unavailable for between two and four weeks.

Aynsley Pears made his first league start at the John Smith’s Stadium in Randolph’s absence and is in line to keep his place.

Woodgate will also be without full-back George Friend as he works his way back to fitness following knee surgery, while striker Rudy Gestede has a hamstring problem.

Randolph’s international team-mate Harry Arter is a doubt for Fulham as they look for back-to-back league victories.

Midfielder Arter limped out of the 2-0 defeat at Stoke last weekend and did not make the matchday squad for Wednesday night’s 3-2 win over Luton, and he will be assessed.

However, manager Scott Parker otherwise has a full squad from which to choose from with midfielder Stefan Johansen having returned to action as a second-half substitute in midweek after missing the trip to the Potteries.

Parker will hope for more of the same from Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, whose hat-trick against the Hatters took his tally for the season to 11.