As Middlesbrough begins the new season, both Rav van den Berg and Hayden Hackney are attracting transfer interest.
Rob Edwards made some bold decisions when he announced Middlesbrough’s first team for the season opener against Swansea City.
One of the most notable decisions was to start Hayden Hackney but leave Rav van den Berg on the bench, despite transfer speculation surrounding both. Boro had earlier accepted an offer from Ipswich Town for Hackney, but the midfielder elected to stay at Boro for the time being, and as a result, Edwards felt confidence in re-introducing him into the squad.
Van den Berg’s future is less definite, since a number of clubs remain interested, including FC Koln. The Dutch defender has stated that he wants to go, and despite missing the last three friendlies due to a back injury, he did not make the squad. However, Teesside Live understands that Boro are yet to receive an acceptable bid for the centre-back.
In his absence, Alfie Jones becomes one of two Boro debutants on the first day of the season. The Hull City summer signing plays in a back three alongside Dael Fry and Luke Ayling, who goes to centre-back, with Neto Borges serving as a substitute.
Callum Brittian, who joined Boro from Blackburn Rovers on Monday, is the club’s second debutant. Brittain is a major addition for Boro, and given Edwards’ preference for energetic, attack-minded wing-backs, he starts ahead of Luke Ayling on the right side. Sammy Silvera’s strong preseason performance gives him a start on the opposing flank.
Another important decision we had to make today was who would be the next Boro captain. During the summer friendly, Edwards spread it among the group and stated that we’d find out who the new permanent captain was when the Swansea team was announced. Teessider Fry will wear the armband against Swansea.
Leave a Reply