JONNY HOWSON and Isaiah Jones are closing in on a first-team return with Middlesbrough after stepping up their respective training programmes significantly this week.

Howson has missed Boro’s last three matches after suffering a knee injury in the defeat at Preston in the middle of last month.

Jones has been sidelined for even longer, with a hamstring injury having forced him off in the early stages of mid-January’s draw with Rotherham United.

The pair have both been badly missed, and while it remains to be seen whether they are included in the squad to face Norwich City at the Riverside tomorrow, the fact they are back in contention is a major boost to a Boro side that have won just one of their last eight matches in all competitions.

“We’ve got a bit of better news this week because both Jonny and Izzy are a little bit closer to being involved,” said Boro head coach Michael Carrick. “They’re just starting to get in and around the group now and that’s good.

“They’ve obviously been out for different periods of time, so we’ll have to see when the time is right for them to be back involved with the games. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same. Everyone who is out is a little bit closer, but not as close as Jonny and Izzy.”

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Dael Fry and Josh Coburn remain sidelined, with Carrick not expecting to see the duo back in the fold until the international break at the end of this month.

“It’s definitely not this week for them, I know that,” added the Boro boss. “Maybe during the international break, around that time.

“Josh is very similar to Dael. He’s had his pelvic problem in and around his groin area. We tried to manage it for a little bit, but it was best that he took some time to rest, recover and repair. He’s going through that at the moment, and we’ll get him back as quickly as we can.”