MICHAEL CARRICK admits it was a “harsh call” to leave Anfernee Dijksteel out of the Middlesbrough team that won at West Brom on Tuesday evening.

Dijksteel impressed as he returned to the starting line-up for last weekend’s win over Stoke City, slotting in at right-back as Luke Ayling moved across to partner George Edmundson at centre-half.

However, with a fit-again Rav van den Berg returning to the starting side at the Hawthorns on Tuesday night, Ayling reverted to his more usual position of right-back, resulting in Dijksteel dropping down to the bench.

Van den Berg justified his return to the line-up with a typically assured central defensive display, but Carrick was left feeling sorry for Dijksteel as the Suriname international spent the evening sitting on the bench as an unused substitute.

“It was harsh on Anf not to play because he’s done so well in the games he’s played this season,” said the Boro boss, whose side return to action at Vicarage Road on Saturday as they take on Watford.

“Sometimes, I’ve got to make decisions that I don’t necessarily like making, and that was definitely one of them. But there were going to be balls coming into the box and we expected to have to deal with crosses.

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“I spoke to Anf about that before the game, which is standard. I speak to all the players if they’re coming out the team for whatever reason. It certainly wasn’t an easy decision but there will be plenty of football for Anf, as well as everyone else, over the course of the season.”

Indeed, while Boro’s starters all performed creditably against West Brom, Carrick was quick to highlight the influence of the replacements who came on in the latter stages of the game.

Delano Burgzorg carried a threat in the final third after replacing Emmanuel Latte Lath, while Isaiah Jones helped shore things up down Boro’s right after coming on for Ben Doak. George McCormick also left the bench in stoppage time, replacing Riley McGree as he made his first Championship appearance.

“The squad is massively important, and I think that showed towards the end of the game,” said Carrick. “All the subs coming on at the end served a real purpose.

“Izzy (Jones) I thought was superb when he came on in those crucial last few moments. It’s fantastic to have everyone chipping in and, I keep stressing it, over time, we’re going to need everyone chipping in.”