Kim Hellberg provides Matt Targett fitness update after late Sheff Wed substitution - 'He had some issues'
Kim Hellberg has provided an update on Matt Targett after he was brought off against Sheffield Wednesday.
Kim Hellberg has provided a fitness update on Matt Targett after he was substituted during the win over Sheffield Wednesday last time out.
Targett lasted 81 minutes against the Owls on Wednesday, creating three chances and making two interceptions to help Middlesbrough come out on top 1-0, ending their six-game winless run and just about keeping their automatic promotion hopes alive. The full-back was impressive throughout, adding 50 completed passes, seven possession recoveries, three crosses and eight final-third passes to his performance - per FotMob.
Kim Hellberg gives Matt Targett fitness update after late Sheffield Wednesday substitution
Boro fans will have been worried to see the 30-year-old coming off in the final 10 minutes, but Hellberg has insisted Targett’s withdrawal was a purely precautionary measure amid the gruelling demands of Championship football.
"He played 90 minutes against Ipswich and was very good. He was good again today, proper solid,” Swedish coach Hellberg told reporters at his Thursday press conference. "Then he had some issues, no big one, but that game against Ipswich was high quality, speed, running pace game and different to many games in the Championship. To then go again in a short amount of time is always tough so it was good to rest a bit at the end of the game."
Middlesbrough’s remaining Championship fixtures:
- 25/04/26: Watford (H)
- 02/05/26: Wrexham (A)
Targett has been a key figure for Boro in their promotion push this season, with the Newcastle United loanee registering four goals and three assists from left-back. The defender has clocked more than 3,200 minutes in the Championship alone this season, making 41 appearances across all competitions and being almost ever-present for the Teessiders.
Off the back of Hellberg’s assurances, fans will hope to see Targett line up from the start in Boro’s must-win clash against Watford at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Hornets inflicted a 3-0 defeat on Boro in their last meeting back in November, and there simply cannot be a repeat of that outcome if Hellberg hopes to guide his side into the Premier League.
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