MICHAEL CARRICK has conceded there is little point in trying to rush Hayden Hackney and Josh Coburn back into action before the end of the season, with the pair now unlikely to feature in either of Middlesbrough’s final two matches.

Hackney has been sidelined since injuring his knee in the 2-1 defeat at Preston in mid-February, while Coburn has not played since the start of February because of an ongoing groin issue that has troubled him for the majority of the campaign.

The pair have been edging their way back to fitness in the last few weeks, but with Monday’s defeat to Leeds United having removed any lingering possibility of Boro forcing their way into the play-offs, the lure of speeding up their return to action has lessened significantly.

Neither will feature in the squad for Saturday’s final away game at Cardiff, and there is now little chance of them being involved in the home match with Watford that will end Boro’s campaign.

“If it was all on the line, then with both lads, you could probably try to quicken the process up,” said Carrick. “But they’re both young players, and we’ve got to look after them. It’s not about now, this month, it’s about what’s further down the line for them in their career.

“So, there’s definitely an element of that in our thinking. I’m not saying we’ve slowed it up the whole time, but certainly when we get right towards the end, there’s a real sense of working out what the priority is and what’s the best for the boys.

READ MORE:

“Really, now, that’s being ready for the start of the season and being in the best shape for them to be able to develop their careers from there.”

The situation with fellow injury victim, Paddy McNair, is slightly different, with the Northern Irishman due to reach the end of his contract this summer.

Carrick insists a final decision over McNair’s future is still to be made, but the fact that a new contract has not been signed with just two games of the season to go strongly suggests the 28-year-old could be ending his six-year spell on Teesside this summer.

If that proves to be the case, then with his injury issues still currently unresolved, there is a good chance he has already played his final game for the club.

“Paddy’s situation is really just how it is,” said Carrick. “He’s taken his different knocks since Christmas time really. Like a number of the boys, the contract situation with him is what it is, and we’ll address that and finalise that either way in the next week or so.”