Neil Warnock slams Northern Ireland decision concerning Middlesbrough and Leeds United men ahead of Norwich clash

McNair, who has started every Championship match this season, played 104 minutes during his country’s Euro 2021 play-off against Slovakia last week, a game which went to extra-time and ended in defeat for Ian Baraclough’s side.

Since then, the Boro defender has also played the full 90 minutes in two Nations League fixtures against Austria and Romania.

Leeds winger Stuart Dallas has also started all three games for Northern Ireland during the international break and Warnock is unhappy with the heavy workload for some players.

“Paddy McNair has played three of the toughest games you could wish for and he has played almost every minute,” Warnock told TalkSport.

“I don’t understand how him and Stuart Dallas can do that. There’s something wrong when that happens. You’ve also got to think of the players.

“We helped him up to the first game, but after that...I can’t accept that when there’s nothing else to play for.”

McNair will now return to Boro ahead of Saturday’s game against Norwich at the Riverside.

It’s the start of a busy few weeks for the Teessiders, who will play nine games in the space of 29 days up until December 19.

Boro have one of the smallest squads in the Championship and were only able to name six substitutes against Brentford last time out.

The club have bolstered their attacking options, though, following the arrival of Duncan Watmore on a short-term deal until mid-January.

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