MICHAEL CARRICK is hoping to have three key players back available for Middlesbrough’s glamour FA Cup tie against Aston Villa at the weekend.

Boro crashed to a 3-1 home defeat to Coventry City yesterday, with the absence of a dozen senior players because of injury or international call-ups leaving Carrick’s squad with a threadbare look.

However, things should start improving this week, with Hayden Hackney, Matt Crooks and Emmanuel Latte Lath all due to return to training.

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Whether the trio are able to start against Villa on Saturday evening remains to be seen, but their return nevertheless represents a timely boost with the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final with Coventry coming three days after the FA Cup tie.

“Hopefully, we will have two or three back within the group by the weekend,” said Carrick. “Although we’ll have to judge how much they can play. The best way to describe it is that this was probably the lowest number of senior players we’ll have to choose from and hopefully that will start to grow as the days and weeks go by.

“We’re hoping for Hayden to train this week, and Crooksy too. We’ll wait and see on that. Hopefully, Manu too, training this week.

“Some of the boys have been out for a number of weeks, so it’s a bit of managing that and not expecting too much too soon. But it will be great to have them back and in and around it again to feel that little bit stronger.”

While Boro were unable to match Coventry in the second half of yesterday’s game, Carrick was delighted with Morgan Rogers’ performance in an attacking-midfield role.

“Morgan is coming on really well,” he said. “It’s that next stage in his career and development. He’s taking on extra responsibility within the team - that end product and having a big impact in games, and being consistent with that. He’s starting to show what we kind of knew and hoped he was capable of.”