Academy kids on standby for Boros Pilgrims trip

Last updated : 05 April 2010 By Northern Echo

Bruno Pilatos, Luke Williams and Cameron Park are all on standby to be involved at Home Park this afternoon after four of the Boro team that drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace on Saturday picked up unspecified knocks.

Gary O'Neil, Andrew Taylor and Rhys Williams are all struggling to be fit, while goalscorer Scott McDonald is unlikely to be risked with a second match inside three days.

McDonald returned to action after a two-match layoff with a hamstring problem against Palace but Strachan suggested afterwards he would not figure at Plymouth.

And the striker, who has scored two in his last four outings in a Middlesbrough shirt, does not want to risk one extra appearance in fear it could bring a premature end to his season in World Cup year.

Every game is massive for me right now because I am still fighting for fitness and hopefully looking forward to a World Cup, said the Australian. You can ask the manager whether I will play at Plymouth, I will see how I feel.

I have had two injuries and it's getting frustrating. I have to be careful with it and make sure I'm fully back to my best. There's only four weeks left and I don't want to get injured for another two or three weeks.

Hopefully I can get back to full fitness and people will see an even better Scott McDonald at the start of next season and towards the end of this one.

McDonald's sliding finish inside quarter of an hour against Palace arrived after his first sleepless night at home with his new-born baby girl, Elle, who he dedicated his goal to.

And after celebrating that double, he has still not given up on another in the shape of heading to this summer's World Cup on the back of promotion to the Premier League.

Middlesbrough are six points off a play-off place with 15 points to play for and McDonald watched by Aussies' assistant boss Henk Duut at the Riverside is still refusing to rule out a top six finish just yet.

Of course we went in to this game thinking we had to win it, I'm getting sick of saying that every week and then failing to produce the three points, he said. We are just a little angry with ourselves.

We have been in good positions in so many games since I have been here, but we have not taken all three points all of the time. You can't win every game but we have not won enough, but we will keep going.

I know the manager's assistant was here, we had four Australians out there.

Nick Carle and the three for us Rhys Williams, Brad Jones and myself. He was here watching and hopefully we all made an impression.

Source: Northern Echo

Source: Northern Echo