The Middlesbrough Gazette
Squad19 Oct 2026
Luke Ayling damages knee ligaments — 77 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 77 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Squad19 Oct 2026
84 days out for Sergio Reguilón after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Middlesbrough will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
The dugout19 Oct 2026
Ayden Heaven: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Middlesbrough have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Player ratings19 Oct 2026
Aidan Morris goes up and wins it — 7.92
A defender on the scoresheet, which happens rarely enough that everybody in the ground remembers who took the corner. 1 for him, and a mark of 7.92 for the rest of it.
Player ratings19 Oct 2026
Wilson Odobert beats them one at a time
Successful dribbles: 24. There was always a defender in front of him and there was never a defender in front of him for long.
Squad19 Oct 2026
Words exchanged at Middlesbrough
Alexis Vega and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Match17 Oct 2026
Stoke City take the points off Middlesbrough
Beaten 1‑2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad19 Oct 2026
A muscle injury sidelines Darragh Lenihan for 15 days
Nobody makes a documentary about a hamstring and everybody in the game fears one. Middlesbrough will be careful with the return date, because the second one is always worse than the first.
The dugout19 Oct 2026
Simon Harris faces the questions
“We were not good enough today and I am not going to dress it up.” Simon Harris after 1‑2, in the tone of a man who knows the next question and does not intend to answer it.
In brief
- The dugout Sol Brynn gets it from the manager
- Market The Alexis Vega question follows Middlesbrough around
- Looking ahead Joe Wildsmith faces his old club