Tees

Image source, Rex Features

Michael Carrick admits the loss of midfielder Aidan Morris for "a number of weeks" is a blow for Middlesbrough.

The 23-year-old USA international suffered a twisted knee in training with his country ahead of their Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Jamaica.

Morris had played all 21 matches for club and country since the start of the season, having appeared in 22 more for previous club Columbus Crew between February and June.

Carrick has given his blessing for Morris to remain in the US before linking up with the Boro squad next week.

"We’ve given him an extra little bit of time off because it’s the right thing to do - he’s played a lot of football," Carrick said before his side head to Oxford United in the Championship on Saturday.

"He’ll be back with us next week. It’s a blow, it’s disappointing, but it's part of the game and hopefully he won’t be too long. He’ll come back strong, fit and fresh."

Carrick said he would "have to wait and see" on the fitness of Morris' midfield-partner Hayden Hackney, who is nursing an ankle problem.

"We’re hopeful, we're not giving up on him," Carrick said, with reference to Saturday.

Left-back Lukas Engel and centre-back Rav van den Berg have resumed light training after injury but remain absent, having missed 12 and three games respectively.

Image source, Getty Images

It wasn't just the impressive Liverpool loanee Ben Doak who was away from the Middlesbrough squad on international duty over the past week.

Seven other players featured for their country including Doak's Scotland team-mate Tommy Conway, who started up front in the 1-0 Nations League win at home to Croatia and was an unused sub for the 2-1 victory in Poland.

Scotland's two wins in Group A1 in their final two fixtures means they have given themselves a chance of escaping relegation to League B when they contest a play-off in March next year.

Finn Azaz was a 76th minute sub for the Republic of Ireland in their 1-0 win over Finland on Thursday and played 23 minutes of the 5-0 defeat to England at Wembley in the Nations League three days later.

Ireland also face a play-off in four months to determine whether they stay in League B or are relegated to League C.

Isaiah Jones played the full 90 minutes in both of Guyana's games against Barbados in the Concacaf Nations League play-in round. Jones claimed an assist in a 4-1 win on Saturday and scored in a 5-3 victory on Tuesday.

Here’s a look at how Boro's players got on elsewhere:

• Riley McGree played 90 minutes for Australia in a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia and 81 minutes of a 2-2 draw with Bahrain in their Asian World Cup qualifiers.

• Anfernee Dijksteel played 21 minutes for Suriname in their 1-0 defeat by Canada in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final. He was an unused sub in a 3-0 loss in the second leg.

• Aidan Morris was called up by the USA but did not make the matchday squad for the 1-0 and 4-2 wins over Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final.

• Goalkeeper Seny Dieng was an unused sub for Senegal in their 1-0 win over Burkina Faso and 2-0 victory against Burundi in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group stage.

Image source, Rex Features

Former England international Andros Townsend said he's "never seen a winger who can dribble with both feet" like Ben Doak.

The 19-year-old is on loan at Championship side Middlesbrough from Liverpool and starred for Scotland during their Nations League wins over Croatia and Poland.

"He was brilliant, so fearless," Townsend said of Doak's performance in the 1-0 victory against Croatia on BBC's Monday Night Club.

"We're talking about [Josko] Gvardiol, the most expensive defender in the world and he was just running at him. He was taking him on, he was doing tricks.

"But the thing that impressed me most as a winger myself is he can dribble with both feet, so you don't know what he's going to do.

"Most wingers now, they have a competitive weaker foot but I've never seen a winger be able to dribble with both feet.

"He can dribble with his right foot or make that nice angle with his left foot and come inside and get shots off. Very impressed with him as a whole."

Doak has scored once and delivered three assists in 10 Championship appearances for Boro this season, who are seventh in the table and chasing promotion.

The teenager also assisted John McGinn's opener in the dramatic 2-1 win over Poland in Warsaw on Monday night.

Ex-Norwich, Blackburn and Celtic striker Chris Sutton said the word "fearless" is a "great description" of Doak.

"That's what he is," said Sutton. "I think he's made the right move in terms of going out on loan at Middlesbrough. He's getting game time."

Listen to the Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds here.