Millwall v Middlesbrough FC: Michael Carrick left bemused by 'mad fuss'
THE most in-form Middlesbrough striker will not be playing at the New Den on Saturday, but manager Michael Carrick is bemused by the suggestion Kelechi Iheanacho is out of touch.
Josh Coburn's loan prevents him helping Millwall try to draw level in the race for the Championship play-offs. It is a blow for the Lions after Coburn’s sixth goal of an injury-disrupted season in an impressive individual display at Bramall Lane on Tuesday.
Kelechi Iheanacho has only one goal in eight Boro starts since arriving on loan in January, but Carrick thinks the booing he got on Tuesday was unwarranted.
"I don't know what the mad fuss is about, to be honest," he says.
"He's playing in a team that's just won a number of games over a short period and he's been a big part of that – he was part of two goals at Blackburn, scored a massive goal for us in the game before that. Perspective's important."
The same applies to the run-in, where Saturday is undoubtedly important but, with four games left afterwards, not decisive.
Boro's 1-0 defeat at home to Leeds United on Tuesday dropped them out of the play-off places, but only by two points.
"There's still plenty to do after this one," warns Carrick, never knowingly carried away by anything, it seems.
"It's part of the game, the ups and downs of watching it or being outside of it a little bit and getting caught up in it. I've been part of it myself.
"There's no way I'm playing that down but we've got to pull everything we can out of it, so we can let our mind wander and waste energy on things we can't fully control.
"We want the next win, definitely, but we don't want to get too gung-ho about it."
George Edmundson is close to full fitness but will not feature in south London. Darragh Lenihan is progressing, but time is running out to play again this season.