Flood joins lengthy absentees

09 August 2010 15:00
Middlesbrough travel to Chesterfield for their Carling Cup encounter without stricken midfielder Willo Flood and a number of players on international duty. Flood dislocated his knee in Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Ipswich after colliding with team-mate Matthew Bates and is expected to be on the sidelines for six months. The news comes as a major blow to manager Gordon Strachan, who had seen Flood recently return from a knee-ligament lay-off. Julio Arca could come in for the 25-year-old but Strachan is definitely without Kris Boyd, Stephen McManus, Barry Robson, Kevin Thomson and Tarmo Kink due to international call-ups. Brad Jones has been named in the squad despite mounting transfer speculation over his future at Boro but Gary O'Neil is still out. Rhys Williams (pelvis) is a long-term absentee with Boro expected to give their younger players a run-out.

Source: PA