Bolton Wanderers v Middlesbrough: Teessiders look further into future with Sonny Finch as Michael Carrick refuses to get hung up on transfer deadline

For some, the football could get in the way a bit before squads are set in stone on Friday night. Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick is determined not to think like that.
Stuart Rayner
By Stuart Rayner
Published 28th Aug 2023, 17:14 BST

Clubs have until 11pm on Friday to complete the signings who will see them through to the end of the year but before that Boro have a League Cup date at the club they beat to win the 2004 trophy, Bolton Wanderers.

The early rounds of the League Cup do not stir the blood as much as they might but the Teessiders need to get back into winning habits.

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They beat Huddersfield Town in round one, but their last victory against full-strength opposition came against Hull City in mid-April.

MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - AUGUST 09: Middlesbrough striker Sonny Finch in action during the Carabao Cup First Round match between Middlesbrough and Barnsley at Riverside Stadium on August 10, 2022 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - AUGUST 09: Middlesbrough striker Sonny Finch in action during the Carabao Cup First Round match between Middlesbrough and Barnsley at Riverside Stadium on August 10, 2022 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - AUGUST 09: Middlesbrough striker Sonny Finch in action during the Carabao Cup First Round match between Middlesbrough and Barnsley at Riverside Stadium on August 10, 2022 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Even so, there are likely to be changes and forward Sonny Finch could be given a chance to mark his new contract after missing the early weeks with a pre-season injury.

On Monday the 18-year-old signed a new three-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.

Finch's only previous start was in last season's first round, at home to Barnsley, although Carrick used him three times from the bench in the Championship.

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Even after nine summer signings, Boro are still hunting replacements for Alex Mowatt, Chuba Akpom and Cameron Archer.

Lewis O'Brien could be an option as the ball-winning midfielder but Leeds United and Ipswich Town as competition and Nottingham Forest thought keener to sell for around £10m than to loan the 24-year-old, they cannot bank on getting him.

With Leeds looking at alternatives such as Fortuna Dusseldorf's Ao Tanaka, it could turn into a game of brinkmanship over a player Forest seemed to decide they did not want quickly after signing him from Huddersfield 12 months ago.

With 40 goals departing when Akpom joined Ajax and loanee Archer returned to Aston Villa en route to Sheffield United, supporters will be keen to see them replaced one way or another but as usual Carrrick is refusing to get flustered.

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"It's not the be all or end all," he stressed. "We can get so wrapped up in players coming in, players coming out.

"It's important but the season is the season, games are the games, and it'll pan out how it's going to pan out and we'll try to make the best of it. It's not all or nothing."

Related topics:Bolton WanderersTeessidersMiddlesbrough