JOSH COBURN will be involved in Middlesbrough’s Carabao Cup first-round game at Leeds United tomorrow despite mounting speculation linking the striker with a possible move to Millwall.
Sources in London claim Millwall are preparing a formal offer for Coburn, who was a late substitute as Boro beat Swansea City in their opening game of the Championship season last weekend.
The striker suffered an injury-hit time of things last season, but was a regular presence throughout pre-season and will be part of the squad at Elland Road as Boro look to progress in the League Cup.
“Josh will be involved (at Leeds),” said head coach Michael Carrick. “He’s in the group, and he’ll play a part in the game in some way. That’s literally it from my perspective.”
Coburn’s future could well be contingent on what happens with Boro’s ongoing pursuit of Bristol City forward Tommy Conway.
Conway, who was not part of Bristol City’s squad as they drew at Hull at the weekend, is understood to be keen on a move to the Riverside, but despite a series of discussions, Boro have so far been unable to reach an agreement with the 22-year-old’s current employers.
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“I don’t like talking about ifs and buts,” said Carrick, when asked about the potential for Coburn’s situation changing if another forward arrives this month. “We’ve got the squad that we’ve got at the moment, and to be honest, we’re happy with that.
“What’s going to happen in the rest of the window, we don’t know. This isn’t referring to any individual player, but sometimes things happen in the transfer window, and you have to react to that. That’s the same with any player, but with all of them, we’re really happy at the moment.
“Someone else might come into that, or maybe they might not. We’re working to improve the squad, and there’s still a bit of time left yet, but certainly at the moment, we’re happy with what we’ve got.”
Nevertheless, Carrick has confirmed that Boro’s attempts to make further signings remain ongoing, with a new left-back also a priority given Alex Bangura’s long-term absence after undergoing Achilles surgery.
“It’s always difficult to say what will happen,” he said. “But we’re trying to do certain things that we feel will improve the group. If we can make the squad stronger for a long season, then we’ll try to do that. But let’s see.”
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