MICHAEL Carrick is hopeful Rav van den Berg will be fit to return for Middlesbrough at Sunderland this weekend.

And after a couple of key players were struck down by illness in the last week, the head coach is hoping that whatever has been floating around the camp has now disappeared and no more of his players "take the hit" ahead of Saturday's Wear-Tees derby.

Darragh Lenihan missed last weekend's win at Watford through illness, while Jonny Howson was ruled out of the midweek win over Cardiff City.

Carrick says Boro are taking every possible precaution in the hope there are no more players struck down, but he admits "there's only so much you can do".

"We're taking it day by day to be honest, seeing who's OK and hoping nobody else takes the hit and steps aside," said the head coach.

"We're monitoring it, trying to be as careful as we can and taking precautions and looking after the players as much as we can. As of today, hopefully nobody is bad tomorrow.

"There's only so much you can do really. There's work that we need to get done, the players need to train. You have to try your best to prevent anything from travelling any further.

"We've had three or four over the last week or so. The boys are taking care of themselves and we're hoping nobody else falls foul of the same thing."

Boro were this week hit by the news that Lewis O'Brien is facing three months on the sidelines with a fractured tibia that needs surgery, but there's much better news on van den Berg, who looks to be in contention for Saturday's game at the Stadium of Light.

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The Dutch defender missed the Cardiff win with a hamstring problem that he's been nursing for the last few weeks.

Carrick's options at the back have also been bolstered after Anfernee Dijksteel and Alex Bangura returned to the bench in midweek.

Carrick said: “We’re hopeful for Rav that he can be back in and around it in some way. It was good to have Anf and Alex back in the squad on Tuesday night.

"It’s funny in a way, just as you get a couple back in, you end up losing one or two as well. But we’re pleased to have them back. Anf has been out a while and it’s always a frustrating time to get injured. Alex as well, playing his first game and taking that blow. So it’s great to have them back in and around it and making our squad a lot stronger."