MIDDLESBROUGH were yesterday rocked by the loss of influential midfielder Julio Arca until Christmas after scans confirmed medial ligament damage.

Arca's fears were realised on the day manager Gareth Southgate had been encouraged by hearing that strikers Tuncay Sanli and Mido should be fit to face Everton on Sunday.

Arca has been told the knee injury sustained during Saturday's 2-2 draw with Sunderland will take at least two months to heal.

Given that he will have not played during that time, the Argentine knows it could be nearer to Christmas before he pulls on a Middlesbrough shirt in the Premier League again.

It is a huge blow to Southgate, who has witnessed the South American strike an impressive understanding with Fabio Rochemback in the middle of the midfield in recent weeks.

"The injury to Julio looks more serious," said Southgate. "It's the medial ligament in his knee and it looks like it will be at least two months."

Arca hobbled off the field after receiving treatment on the pitch during the first half of the draw with his old club, Sunderland.

He then had to be carried on a stretcher to the dressing room.

Middlesbrough officials feared straightaway that the injury was serious and there was even a suggestion that he could have been out for the whole campaign.

The boost for Southgate is that he does look like being able to call upon both Tuncay and Mido at Goodison Park this weekend.

It had looked as if Boro were only going to have one available first team striker - Dong Gook Lee - after the Turkey international suffered a knock to the shin and the Egyptian felt his hamstring pull.

That, now, appears to be unlikely, although neither will be fit enough to take on Tottenham in the third round of the Carling Cup tomorrow night.

Southgate has a couple of options at White Hart Lane.

He will either play a threepronged attack, with Stewart Downing and Gary O'Neil providing the width for lone striker Lee, or draft in a reserve team striker.

Darlingtonborn Tom Craddock is the youngster in the frame, after scoring three goals in three reserve games this season, although Ben Hutchinson, a first year scholar from Nottingham, boasts two goals in three outings for the reserves.

Craddock made a good impression in an outing for the first team in a friendly with Darlington in July when the 20-year-old scored both goals in a 2-0 win.

Southgate said: "Tom has been prolific in the reserves, the lad gets goals.

"This is going to be a big season for him.

"He has showed against league opposition that he can score goals and that's a valuable asset.

"He always works hard for the team, he always puts himself about well.

"He's a confident boy, he's got a bit of an edge to him. His movement is very good, he is a willing worker and his attitude is spot on, so he is one of those that you would like to see do well."

Craddock has been eagerly waiting for a chance to follow in the footsteps of his FA Youth Cup winning team-mates from 2004 who have made an impression at Premier League level.

And the fact that Mido and Tuncay will almost certainly be rested tomorrow should strengthen his case.

The latter, meanwhile, has revealed he does think he inflicted too much extra damage on his hamstring, when he chose to play on when Southgate was ready to replace him.

Mido eventually made way for Lee Cattermole after half-time.

He said: "I didn't want to come off straightaway. I wanted to see if I could carry on because there was no other striker on the bench.

"There was a bit of pain but I don't think I aggravated the injury too much at all.

"I tried to be careful and knew how far I could go."