Monday Aug 21 2006 12:10
Middlesbrough are set to be without summer signing Julio Arca for at least three weeks after he suffered a foot injury in the opening day 3-2 defeat at Reading.
The 25-year-old recruit from Sunderland had to be replaced at half-time at the Madejski Stadium, with further assessment of the problem revealing a broken bone in his foot.
Meanwhile, Boro boss Gareth Southgate is still trying to come to terms with the reverse by the Royals, who overturned a two-goal deficit to clinch a stunning win on their debut in the top-flight.
He commented: "It was a rollercoaster. In football nothing comes easily and I know that only too well.
"There was a spell when it was important for us to dig in and having gone two up, Reading were always going to throw everything forward.
"We knew we had a good chance to take something from this game and we haven't done it. We have to learn from that.
"Football managers are learning all the time and I am learning more than most, but it was very disappointing.
"We stopped passing and playing in the manner we had been and that turned the game in their favour."
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