Middlesbrough suffer George Friend injury blow

Middlesbrough have announced that they will be without George Friend for around a month.

The Championship high-flyers said that the left-back would miss up to four weeks of action after fracturing his shoulder in last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Friend has been an ever-present for second-placed Boro this term, missing only one league game.

Boro are already without centre-back Ben Gibson due to a hip injury, while James Husband is out on loan at Huddersfield Town.