Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray has said the club will continue to monitor Kevin Thomson as his mystery leg problem remains a concern.The 26-year-old midfielder broke his leg against Leicester City in August and has continued to struggle with the injury despite a string of comebacks.
"It's a genuine problem we must get to the bottom of," Mowbray told BBC Tees.
"Is it nerves around the injury, or is still not cleared up around the fracture? It is a mystery for us."
Thomson has appeared in just 12 games for the Teessiders following his summer move from Rangers, but has only completed the full 90 minutes on half of those occasions.
However it appeared that the player had overcome the injury with a string of appearances in December, helping Boro to wins against Cardiff and Preston before pulling up with another knock in the 1-1 draw with Leeds on New Year's Day.
We're not here with a big stick whacking him on the shin everyday to see if we can recreate the problems he's having
Tony Mowbray on the frustration with Thomson's injury
"The boy is obviously in a lot of discomfort on the back of the heavy knocks he's taken on it, I've worked with Kevin before, I know his personality and it's not as if he shirking anything," Mowbray continued.
"We tried two weeks off and it looked as though it had broken the back of it, it looked as if he was back fit and playing, obviously that's not the case.
"The bottom line is that we're not here with a big stick whacking him on the shin everyday to see if we can recreate the problems he's having.
"Once he's fine again to get out there and train again and play then we do that, and if he has to come off then that's part of the problem, but a fit Kevin Thomson can contribute a lot to this football team."
Edinburgh-born Thomson began his career at Hibernian in Scotland, scoring three goals in 98 appearances before switching to Rangers in January 2007.
Injuries again restricted his progress at Ibrox, but went on to feature 107 times and also represented the Gers in the 2008 Uefa Cup final defeat by Zenit St Petersburg.
He has one cap for Scotland, picked up in last August's 3-0 friendly defeat by Sweden in Stockholm.
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport