CROCKED Stuart Parnaby suffered the biggest set-back of his burgeoning career last night when he was ruled out for up to six weeks of Middlesbrough's Premiership run-in.
A scan yesterday revealed the right-back has a torn hamstring and is now bracing himself for spending the rest of this month and most, if not all, of April on the sidelines.
Parnaby had to be stretchered off during the first half of the victory at Leeds United on Saturday after going down under a harmless challenge from Raul Bravo.
The 20-year-old was replaced by Colin Cooper and now the experienced defender is vying to retain his place for Saturday's home match with Charlton Athletic.
Robbie Stockdale, who has lost his place to Parnaby since sustaining an injury back in October, is also standing by.
But Boro boss Steve McClaren will be disappointed to lose the services of one of his brightest talents.
And it is not the perfect way Parnaby would have liked to have celebrated his new deal at Boro - which he signed last Friday and will keep at the club until the summer of 2007.
But McClaren knows the Durham-born defender, who was having extensive treatment yesterday afternoon at Boro's Rockliffe Park training HQ, has got a bright future, he said: "Stuart has done very well to come through and win a regular place in the first team this season.
"The new contract is a reward for all of his hard work. We're delighted he has committed his future to the club.
"It has been part of my policy since I first came here to bring through players from our Academy system and Stuart is one of several lads who have come through the ranks."
Meanwhile, it has emerged Stoke City tried to tempt out-of-favour Boro striker Noel Whelan to move to the Britannia Stadium.
Whelan, currently on loan at Crystal Palace, is hoping to convince the Eagles to make the switch permanent.
But Stoke admit that they had hoped to persuade the former Leeds and Coventry star to boost their squad in an attempt to fire them away from Division One relegation trouble.
Potters boss Tony Pulis said: "We wanted Noel here and thought he could do us a good job, but he did not fancy it.
"That's the thing, the players have got to want to come here and do a job for us while helping themselves. It can be an issue of money but not always."
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