Middlesbrough ready for a busy week as forward returns for Charlton Athletic test

Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg has admitted he is having to manage his players through a testing final week before the second international break of the season.

The Championship leaders host Charlton Athletic at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon before their attention will turn towards an away day double header against Wrexham and Watford over the following week. The main positive for Hellberg and his squad came with the fact they had eight days and a free midweek schedule to prepare for this weekend’s home clash with the Addicks and that has given the Boro boss time to assess the fitness levels of his players.

Several players are pushing for a place in the starting eleven - but it would be little surprise to see Hellberg name the same side that strolled to an impressive 5-1 win at Bolton Wanderers last Friday night. One player that will miss out is Alfie Jones as the defender continues to work his way back towards full fitness after a frustrating period of injuries - but David Strelec is back in training and could take his place in the squad for Saturday’s game.

Hellberg is looking forward to a busy week on and off the pitch and he admitted he would have to manage his squad to ensure they have ‘the right levels of energy’ to continue their push for promotion. He said: "We have two away games in a short amount of time, which is always special. We will probably end up coming home middle of the night, Wednesday to Thursday, and then you go again to Watford for Saturday. It's also those things you have to take into account, and it's difficult to know now how the players are going to feel after those types of trips.

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"It's a tough week in terms of logistics, in terms of traveling, and that stuff. We will see, but it's three fun games to play, and we're looking forward to it. I have to manage everyone through it. Football is about putting your best players as much as possible in the best roles or doing the things they are best at. To be doing that, you need all 11 players in different areas and different moments to be performing well. They need to be at the right levels of energy to be able to do that."

‘Bringing Paul in is a real coup for us’

Meanwhile, there was a major off-field boost for Boro after head of football Kieran Scott and head of recruitment Chris Jones both put pen to paper on long-term deals at the Riverside Stadium. Former Swansea City sporting director Paul Watson has also joined Boro as he takes up a role as chief technical officer.

Speaking after signing a new deal, Scott told the club website: “I’m delighted to sign a new contract and along with Chris we are excited about the future. Bringing Paul in is a real coup for us. His focus is on the technical and data side of things and he comes here with a successful background at Luton, Swansea and Brentford. He will also work closely with Kim and the first team, and we’re looking forward to welcoming him on board.”

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