MIDDLESBROUGH will be boosted by the return of Matt Clarke at Watford on Saturday but Michael Carrick will make a late call on Tommy Conway, who he says is "touch and go".

Clarke has missed Boro's wins over Stoke City and West Brom but is now back in training and available to return at Vicarage Road, though might have to settle for a place on the bench after Rav van den Berg and George Edmundson impressively kept out the Baggies in midweek.

Jonny Howson is not yet ready to return, with Carrick hoping the captain will be in contention to feature after the international break.

And although this weekend's game at Watford will come too soon, Dael Fry is now back in training and "looking really good", says Carrick.

Updating ahead of Saturday's game at Vicarage Road, Carrick said: "At the moment we're looking OK.

"We never want to have any injuries but unfortunately we've had a number. But everyone is in a positive light and on their way back. We had Clarkey back training today, Tommy is touch and go, Rav came back this week. We're ticking them off and getting them back one by one.

"We have no fresh problems from the other night. We looked fit, strong and the boys coming back settled in quickly. Gradually we feel we're getting stronger.

"Jonny is probably a little bit further. After the internationals he shouldn't be too far off.

"Dael is training with he group, he's been out some time but is training with the group and looking really good, so that's great news."

Tommy Smith and Darragh Lenihan remain sidelined, while Lukas Engel has been out since the end of August.

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Fry hasn't played since February so Boro will be patient and cautious with the defender, which will also be the case with Marcus Forss.

Forss returned to the bench at West Brom in midweek but hasn't played since March so Carrick won't rush the Finnish forward back.

He said: "With injuries we're very measured with that. We try to do the right things for players and aren't just driven by results. There has to be a calculated decision made and certainly with Marcus it's about building him up gradually.

"He's in a good place, he's training really well, to get him back around the group was good and we have the next couple of weeks to get more minutes into him on the training pitch and more football."