Injured Fry set to have scan on knee after coming off
CHRIS Wilder says Dael Fry will have a scan after the talented defender went off with a knee injury in the loss to Hull City.
The 24-year-old was substituted during the first half of the 1-0 defeat at the Riverside and was replaced by veteran Sol Bamba.
Losing centre-back Fry for even part of the Championship run-in would be a blow from Boro, who are now down to eighth after a second home loss in just four days.
Yesterday’s result, which came about thanks to a Keane Lewis-potter goal, leaves Middlesbrough eighth in the table and in need of at least one win from their clashes at Bournemouth and at home to Huddersfield next weekend.
Boro are three points behind Luton Town and Sheffield United, who are fifth and sixth respectively, but have a game in hand on the Blades.
But their battle for promotion will made harder if England Under-21 international Fry misses any game time. Since returning from injury in early December, the academy graduate has played every single league game since Wilder took over on Teesside.
“I think he has got a calf injury. It was obviously disappointing for Dael and especially to lose a defender,” the 54-year-old said.
“Sol [Bamba] comes on and does well, but you don’t want to make a substitution through injury, you want to make one to freshen it up. We’re just going to have to wait and see how he is.”
Fry will undergo scans to determine the extent of the injury ahead of the crucial Easter weekend double-header.
Losing him would be a blow, though Bamba was solid from the bench and tends to always prove a reliable deputy.
Former QPR defender Grant Hall is also there to cover should he be needed, though the 30-year-old has struggled to get a look-in since returning from injury.
Elsewhere, Isaiah Jones also missed yesterday’s game as he still wasn’t deemed well enough to face the Tigers.
The 22-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Tottenham, also missed the midweek defeat to Fulham after going down with an illness.