DARNELL FISHER has had to overcome a setback in his comeback from long-term injury – but the Middlesbrough defender has received the green light to step up his training programme and begin to join in with the first-team squad.

Fisher has been sidelined for more than 18 months since suffering a freak knee injury during pre-season ahead of the start of the 2021-22 season.

The full-back, who has only made 12 senior appearances since joining Boro from Preston more than two years ago, began training with Michael Carrick’s first-team group on the grass towards the end of last year, but a series of niggling issues forced him to rein back his recovery programme.

He has been building things back up again over the course of the last couple of weeks though, to the point where is spending more and more time as part of the senior training set-up at Rockliffe Park.

“Darnell’s doing well,” said Carrick. “It’s a difficult one when you’ve been out for so long. He trained with us for a little bit, then as happens quite regularly when you’ve been out for such a long period of time, he picked up little bits of niggles.

“That sets you back a little bit, but he’s back training in and around the group. It’s just about being patient with Darnell and helping him to take his time to get back into the swing of things and the rhythm of training every day.”

Given that his current Boro contract is due to expire at the end of the season, the 28-year-old will be understandably keen to prove his wellbeing on the pitch in the next couple of months.

Boro’s medical staff will be understandably reluctant to throw him into competitive action too soon, but there is a good chance he will feature in an Under-21s game in the next few weeks to assess where he is at in terms of building up his match fitness.

Some managers are reluctant to select senior players for the development matches that have effectively replaced reserve-team football, but as he proved when he named Marc Bola and Matthew Hoppe in his Under-21s side for a game against Sunderland last month, Carrick is happy to use second-string games as an opportunity to give some of fringe players some much-needed minutes.

“Marc played against Sunderland, and Matty played in that game too and scored a couple of goals,” said the Boro boss, whose side return to action with a top-three clash against Sheffield United tomorrow night. “It just depends on the individual situation – how long they’ve been out, what games are coming up.

“I’m definitely not against first-team players playing in those games – I think we’ve shown that – but I’m also not one that would be of the view that the boys that don’t play in the first team have to be playing every week. It’s just about the rhythm and what they need at the right time, really.”

Matt Clarke is another senior player who could be pencilled in for an Under-21s appearance in the next few weeks, although Boro’s medical staff are still trying to nail down the exact nature of the defender’s back problem.

Clarke’s last first-team appearance came back at the start of October, with Carrick admitting the centre-half was still suffering from the same back issues that were hampering him at the end of last year.

The problem is proving more difficult to solve than was initially envisaged, but Carrick has been delighted with the 26-year-old’s outlook and attitude in the last few months.

“Clarkey is remarkably positive and upbeat, and driven to get back,” said the Boro boss. “It’s not always easy when you’re out injured and the rest of the boys are training and playing games. But I’ve been nothing but impressed with how he’s gone about it and how he’s applied himself.

“His attitude and willingness to get back have been excellent, and hopefully he is back sooner rather than later. But we have to do what’s right and make sure he’s looked after well.”