Middlesbrough handed big injury boost as Jonathan Woodgate provides Britt Assombalonga update ahead of Swansea trip

The Boro frontman had to be withdrawn against Charlton last weekend and subsequently missed Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.

Yet Woodgate says Assombalonga could feature at the Liberty Stadium, where the Teessiders will be hoping to record their first away win of the season.

“The scans have shown the injury is not as bad as it might have been, or that we first feared,” said Woodgate when asked about Assombalonga.

“That’s a massive boost for us, but I need him to be right. There’s a big pile of fixtures coming now as we head into the Christmas period, so I need Britt to be right. I don’t want to risk him if he’s 60-40 or 70-30 because I need him for the games that are coming.

“Britt hasn’t trained fully with the group yet, but he’s been in the sandpit and doing work in the pool. We’ll see how he is today.”

Boro will still be without long-term absentees George Friend, Darren Randolph, Ryan Shotton and Anfernee Dijksteel for their meeting with the Swans.

Woodgate will have playmaker Marcus Browne and striker Rudy Gestede available again though, after both returned to training following injury layoffs.

Lewis Wing is also fit again after missing the games against Charlton and Forest with a knee injury.