MICHAEL Carrick could shuffle his pack for tonight's visit of Blackburn Rovers, despite the fact Middlesbrough hit Oxford United for six on Saturday to extend their Championship winning run to three games.

Boro have scored 15 goals in their last three outings and blew Oxford away last time out with another blistering attacking display, but Carrick could still opt to freshen up his starting XI at the Riverside tonight.

The likes of Tommy Conway, Riley McGree, Dael Fry and Marcus Forss are all waiting in the wings if Carrick opts to tinker with his team.

Boro also plan to make late checks on the unnamed players who have been under the weather in recent days, with the illness that ruled Seny Dieng out of Saturday's game at Oxford spreading through the camp. As of Monday, as many as three more players had been affected.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Hayden Hackney will continue to have his ankle injury assessed but Boro won't rush the midfielder back into action, and Dan Barlaser and Jonny Howson are expected to continue in midfield tonight.

On the back of Saturday's long trip to Oxford and tonight's game, Boro host Hull in an early kick-off on Saturday, and Carrick admits he weighed up his team selection plan for all three games before Championship play resumed after last week's international break.

“We try to plan the week ahead with all three games in mind, but you never know what will be thrown up at you," said the Boro boss.

"There’s certainly an idea of what the three games might look like - which players might be suited to certain games, who we’re playing against and how that works in a three-game week. There’s a lot that goes into it.

"We try to plan ahead, two or three games in advance with an idea of what it looks like. It doesn’t always come off like that and has to change as you go. But it’s good to have an idea of planning ahead so you can make the right decisions at the right time.”

Carrick was very loosely linked with the Leicester City job this week but is going nowhere. Only this week he talked about his excitement at the way his Boro side are playing and progressing.