GEORGE McCormick's full Middlesbrough debut was cut short because of injury against Stoke City but Michael Carrick revealed Luke Ayling's half-time substitution was planned before the game.

McCormick went down injured in the first minute of the Carabao Cup second round clash but battled on until the break.

He was replaced at half-time by Lukas Engel, who endured a nightmare second half, while Ayling also went off with Anfernee Dijksteel introduced.

The Ayling substitution worried fans, with Boro already down to the bare bones in defence ahead of Saturday's Championship trip to Cardiff City. But Carrick confirmed there was nothing to be concerned about with the former Leeds defender.

"Luke coming off at the break was planned," he explained.

"There was no injury and he’s fine for the weekend.

“George was injured. Unfortunately he just couldn’t carry on any longer after he twisted his ankle in the first minute.

"Credit to him for carrying on until half-time really. It was his first game and he was desperate to stay on. He’d done well too after the injury but he couldn’t carry on."

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Boro were again without Rav van den Berg, Riley McGree and Jonny Howson against Stoke. Carrick has previously suggested Howson will be out for the longest period of time out of that trio but it's not clear at this stage whether van den Berg or McGree will be in contention for Cardiff.

He said: “We’ll have to wait and see on a couple of the lads. They’re trying to be available and Saturday is still three or four days away, so we’ll see how it goes."

The absent Hayden Hackney and Emmanuel Latte Lath were rested on Tuesday night and there's no injury worry for the pair.

Carrick previously said long-term absentees Tommy Smith, Dael Fry, Darragh Lenihan and Marcus Forss won't be ready to return before the international break.