MICHAEL Carrick is hopeful Jonny Howson will be fit to return at Chelsea on Tuesday night - but Middlesbrough now face an anxious wait on Isaiah Jones.

Howson missed the Rotherham draw with a slight injury sustained in training and Boro suffered a fresh blow early in Saturday's game when Isaiah Jones was forced off with a hamstring issue.

Carrick is now keeping his fingers crossed that Jones' problem is only minor and the winger - a key player for Boro - is fit for Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Updating on the injury situation, Carrick said: "Jonny took a knock in training so we're just seeing how he is. That wasn't a rest or anything, he wasn't available. I don't know for Chelsea. I'm hopeful but I don't know for sure.

“We’re waiting to see on Izzy. We’re hoping that will be a bit of a nerve or neuro problem rather than a muscle injury, but at this stage we don’t know.

"I’m hoping for the best, but we’ll have to wait and see. We’ll wait on the medical team and find out where he is.

"I wouldn’t risk him, or any players, long-term, if they weren’t capable. Listen, Tuesday is an important game and a big game, but we’ll see who we’ve got available and pick the best team."

Jones' injury forced Carrick into a change of plan, with the head coach having to introduce Marcus Forss much earlier than he'd have liked - but the forward came through unscathed and scored Boro's late equaliser.

"Marcus playing so long wasn’t the plan, to be honest," said Carrick.

"Even when we had to bring him on, I was thinking in the back of my mind I might have to bring him off later on, but he came through well."

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Despite the Howson and Jones blows, there was also positive news on the injury front for Boro, with Josh Coburn named among the substitutes and introduced in the second half after missing the Millwall win with an ongoing groin problem, while Paddy McNair returned to the bench having not played since the defeat at Leeds in early December.

Lewis O'Brien was also introduced late on, his first taste of action since suffering a serious injury at Watford in September.

Carrick said: “Paddy was back on the bench. He hasn’t trained an awful lot but it was to have him back within the group.

"Lewis getting back on the pitch is massive for him and us and it’s great to have him back. Josh was back part of it as well, so there are some positives to take."