Neil Warnock monitoring Middlesbrough players after Covid-19 outbreak and challenges fringe players to step up in FA Cup clash at Brentford

Boro returned a number of positive tests on Monday and will have to use under-23s players to make up their squad for this weekend’s FA Cup game at Brentford.

The players who have tested positive began their ten-day self-isolation period on Monday, meaning they could return for next weekend’s home game against Birmingham on January 16.

Boro will then travel to Nottingham Forest for a league game four days later.

Yet Warnock, who tested positive for the virus back in September, admitted some players have been affected worse than others.

Boro’s North East neighbours Newcastle were hit badly by a Covid-19 outbreak earlier in the season, with some players only just returning for Steve Bruce’s side.

When asked about the long-term concerns and Newcastle’s situation, Warnock said: “I don’t think anybody knows what the effect of this will be.

“We’ve had lads who’ve felt good and tested positive, and lads who’ve felt exhausted because of it.

“I know from myself, and talking to Dael (Fry) who’s had it previously, we’ve all had different experiences and symptoms from it.

“I was just tired really. I thought that was to do with my age, but then all of a sudden I was back to normal and I was alright.

“But I can understand too that the kind of fitness levels that are required in the Premier League why Steve would be cautious.

“We don’t really know what the long-term effects are at the moment because we’re still learning about it really, but I can imagine it might take more out of others.

“That’s where, as managers, we’ve got to be on the top of our game to manage things in training and spot if any players are below their usual standards or looking a little under the weather or whatever.”

The absence of several first-team players will provide opportunities for those who have been on the fringes of Boro’s squad in recent months.

"Even last week when I planned the team it was going to be a strong team,” admitted Warnock.

"It was going to give people an opportunity to show me what they can do. It will obviously be slightly weaker now but it’s still a great opportunity

“You don’t get games like this for other lads to impress, you can’t do that when you are playing yourselves or the 23s in training. This is a great, great chance for some of these lads to show me what they can do.

“Their agents have been telling me for months how good they are, so let's see if they are.”

Warnock also praised the club’s under-23 players, who returned no positive Covid-19 tests and will be available to play this weekend.

“It will be a good learning experience for the under-23s being around the first-team players,” Warnock added.

“They were tested as well, and there wasn’t one positive test in the under-23s.

“I was really pleased with that. Sometimes you think the young lads might not bother and be out with their mates etc. So I was really pleased when we got those results.

“We’ve got some really good kids; best I’ve seen since I've been a manager.”

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