Irish defender available for Blades clash
MIDDLESBROUGH have been boosted by the news Darragh Lenihan will only miss tomorrow’s Carabao Cup clash with Barnsley after being sent off against QPR on Saturday.
There was some uncertainty the club had to clarify because of the difference in punishment depending on the offence. FA disciplinary rules set out t the ‘denial of a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity’ is a one-match suspension, whereas a straight red deemed to be ‘serious foul play’ carries a three-match punishment.
Boro were waiting for the referee’s report of Saturday’s game to clarify which of the two Lenihan’s late red card at QPR was deemed to be.
Match official Josh Smith judged it to have been the denial of a goalscoring opportunity, meaning Lenihan will only miss the Carabao Cup first-round game against Barnsley.
He will be available on Sunday when Boro host Sheffield United in the Championship.
Lenihan was dismissed in stoppage time of the 3-2 defeat at QPR when fouling Macauley Bonne as he got to a loose ball ahead of the Boro defender to knock it past him before being clattered.
The impact of the challenge he committed to could have been deemed serious foul play, but would have been harsh. However, the referee has confirmed the defence was sent off for committing a professional foul.
Even Wilder, who bemoaned many of Smith’s decisions on Saturday, admitted he had no complaints with that one.
The decision is a boost to the Middlesbrough boss as he looks ahead to an important game against his former side at the Riverside on Sunday, with Boro still looking for their first win of the season.
Ex-Blackburn captain Lenihan has had a difficult start to life on Teesside and Dael Fry will hope to impress against Barnsley to stake his claim to be back in the side, having been so pivotal to Boro’s displays last term.
Wilder is a big fan of Lenihan having moved to bring him in on a free transfer this summer and picking the 28-year-old for the first two league games of the new Championship season.