Source: Eurosport
Alves boost for Boro
Middlesbrough striker Afonso Alves will return to full training with his team-mates next week after recovering from a broken foot.
The 28-year-old Brazilian missed the final two games of last season after suffering a fractured metatarsal in the 3-1 derby defeat at Newcastle on May 11.
However, he is expected to be able to start pre-season training with his team-mates when they head back to Rockliffe Park on Monday.
Winger Stewart Downing is also hoping to be able to step up his rehabilitation after a foot injury following a visit to his specialist in London on Tuesday.
A trio of central defenders, all of whom have undergone surgery during the close-season, will work with the club's physios as they attempt to prove their fitness ahead of the big kick-off.
David Wheater is the most advanced after a knee operation and could yet make the opener against Sheffield United on August 7, while Emanuel Pogatetz and Chris Riggott, who has knee and ankle problems respectively, are a little behind him.
