Middlesbrough team news: Chris Wilder reveals big boost ahead of QPR trip

And Boro boss Chris Wilder has been handed a boost ahead of the trip to QPR (KO 7.45pm), Riley McGree is back in training and is expected to be in the squad.

He missed the FA Cup win but returned to training earlier this week ahead of the Championship midweek fixture.

Boro Wilder said: “He's available, we're delighted.

“Riley’s trained, he tested negative and that allowed him to get back on a plane. He landed Saturday or Sunday I think. He did some work Sunday and he trained yesterday (Monday).

“Getting him ready has been difficult because obviously he’s gone out and tested positive so that wasn’t ideal but he’s just such a humble and honest boy.

“He’s apologising to me and I’m saying ‘you can’t do anything about it and let’s have a good second part of the season’ but we’re looking forward to working with him.

“He’s a bright boy and he’s going to be an asset to the football club,” added the Boro boss.

Wilder added: “He’ll be involved in the 18 on Wednesday night so I'm delighted to have him involved.

"We would have loved to have had him involved at Old Trafford.

"We were planning on him being back in time but he wasn’t so it was his loss missing that. I think he’ll have been gutted.

“He definitely would have played a part at Old Trafford but he’s involved on Wednesday."

Middlesbrough head into the game on the back of the stunning FA Cup win over Manchester at Old Trafford on Friday night.

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty before Jadon Sancho struck at Old Trafford, where Duncan Watmore set up fellow former United academy player Crooks to score a contentious leveller.

The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra-time, with Anthony Elanga’s missed spot-kick sealing Chris Wilder’s Boro a shock 8-7 penalty shoot-out win under the Old Trafford lights in front of a packed away support.

While the 9,500 travelling fans and all connected to Boro celebrated long into the night, United were left rueing what could have been.

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