DEFIANT Steve McClaren last night defended his decision to field a weakened Boro side against Brentford, and claimed that he is likely to do it again.

Middlesbrough beat Second Division side Brentford 4-1 at Griffin Park last night in the Worthington Cup despite fielding a team made up completely of reserve team players.

But McClaren remained unmoved by criticism that his decision to field a side made up of second-string players had in some way devalued the League Cup.

He said: "I thought they all did really well and they settled quickly.

"They all got the team off to a great start with two good first half goals and then we grew against a determined Brentford side.

"It was always my intention to play that side. Always.

"I will probably do it again because it's that type of game now.

"I mean when we play the next round we will have Newcastle on the Monday, a Worthington Cup match and then an important match with Liverpool.

"So we have got to look at doing that now, it's a squad game now and that's what it's about.

"I thought all the players were brilliant and they all justified their inclusions."

Meanwhile, midfielder Juninho admits it is ''boring'' sitting on the sidelines while the team make huge strides on the pitch - but vowed to come back better than ever.

The Brazilian World Cup winner suffered a knee injury in Boro's pre-season game against Italian side Modena which manager Steve McClaren estimated at the time would keep him out until Christmas.

Juninho, in his third spell at the Riverside, admitted he was frustrated not to be part of the team who climbed to third in the Barclaycard Premiership with a 3-0 win at Tottenham on Saturday.

He said: ''It is hard for me to give a time when I'll be back.

"We never know. I don't feel pain, but we have to see if my knee feels pain.

''We can talk about it being five, six or more months - but I have in mind that I will come back better than before.''

He added: ''I am very disappointed at the moment. I guess when I am at home with my family that makes me happy, but apart from that when I come to the club to try and enjoy it with my team-mates and I can't it's very boring."

* Filippo Inzaghi took his goals tally to seven in three Champions League outings by scoring both for AC Milan in their 2-1 win at Bayern Munich last night.

The former Juventus striker has overshadowed new arrival Rivaldo with his performances for the Serie A giants in the early stages of this season, while injured Andrei Shevchenko has not been missed, and he was at his poaching best at the Olympiastadion.

He stroked in his first from six yards in the 52nd minute and headed the winner six minutes from the end. Claudio Pizarro nodded in Bayern's goal but they wasted a series of good chances and are now in real danger of failing to reach round two.

After their three Group G matches to date, the 2001 European champions have just a single point and will probably need to win their next three games to stand a chance of progressing.

They are alongside Lens at the foot of the table, eight points adrift of Milan and five behind second-placed Deportivo La Coruna who left it late last night against Lens.

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen got their first points on the board by beating Maccabi Haifa 2-0 in the Israelis' temporary home of Nicosia, with Marko Babic scoring twice - the second a fluke as he miscued a cross from the left flank.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.