Southgate keen to keep duo
30 Mar 2007 - 13:57:39
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate remains hopeful of keeping star duo Mark Viduka and Jonathan Woodgate at the Riverside Stadium.
Viduka is out of contract at the end of the season and Southgate is desperate to tie the Australia international striker down to a new long-term deal.
Meanwhile, Woodgate's season-long loan switch from Real Madrid expires in the summer and the Boro chief would like to sign the England defender on a permanent basis.
"With Mark, talks are ongoing. With Jonathan, we just have to keep impressing him with what we are trying to do," admitted Southgate.
"Both are going to want to take their time to think about things and as a manager, I am very comfortable with that.
"They are enjoying their football and they are playing at the level they are, that helps us in our quest to try to keep them."
Woodgate is expected to be fit to face West Ham on Saturday despite being sent home from England duty ahead of Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier with Andorra with a knee problem.
"He has had a slight problem with his knee for a couple of weeks and it will just have to be managed carefully after matches and during training," revealed Southgate.
"He was feeling it after the game at Old Trafford. We liaised very closely with the England medical team and they decided rather than have him sitting on the plane going to Israel, it would be better to come back and be treated here."
