DAVID WHEATER could make a remarkable return to action in Middlesbrough’s do-or-die fixture with Aston Villa this weekend – despite the threat of surgery this summer.

After missing Monday night’s demoralising 3-1 defeat to North-East neighbours Newcastle United, his knee injury was expected to keep him out for the rest of the season.

However, ahead of this Saturday’s visit of Villa, Wheater will be assessed over the next 48 hours and there is a chance that he will figure in a game Middlesbrough must win to avoid dropping into the Championship.

His place in the Boro defence is far from certain, nor is he sure to play at West Ham United next week, but he is not being ruled out of the last two matches at this stage.

And given the way Newcastle were able to break down Gareth Southgate’s defence so easily at St James’ Park, the manager could do with a boost to his selection plans.

Southgate has already learnt that record signing Afonso Alves will miss the remaining two matches with a broken metatarsal, while defenders Chris Riggott and Emanuel Pogatetz are already ruled out.

If Wheater does play through the pain barrier against Villa, then Southgate would have the option of fielding Matthew Bates in his adopted holding midfield role.

These are worrying times for Middlesbrough and Wheater, a boyhood fan, would love the chance to try to keep his beloved club in the Premier League.

But while there would be an element of risk in playing with his knee problem, Southgate and the club’s medical staff are not prepared to gamble too heavily.

If there is any doubt that his long-term fitness will be affected, Wheater will have to settle for a seat on the touchline. Either way there is every chance that the Redcar-born centre-back will have to undergo surgery at the end of the season, which would plunge his place in the European Under-21s Championship into doubt.

Wheater has become a regular in Stuart Pearce’s England Under-21s squad, but he will not be rushed back if, as expected, he does have an operation. With that in mind, the likelihood is that the defender will not be heading to next month’s championships in Sweden.

A defeat to Villa would mean Middlesbrough facing the impossible to climb out of trouble – even if the teams around them lose.

Such a turn of events would leave Boro three points adrift of both Hull and Newcastle going into the final weekend, with Southgate’s men knowing an improbable goals victory at West Ham would be required to keep them up.

Meanwhile, there have been suggestions over recent weeks that Middlesbrough are planning a pre-season trip to Australia.

FC Sydney, apparently Boro’s first match of the tour, are the source of the claims, although nobody at the Riverside was able to confirm the suggestions last night.

FC Sydney are apparently scheduled to play them on either July 18 or 19 and there are hopes of scheduling another.