Groundsy Back At Boro
LEFT-BACK Jonathan Grounds has been recalled from a loan spell at Norwich City as Andrew Taylor undergoes tests on a hip injury.
The 20-year-old has made three starts and two substitute appearance since joining the Canaries in a three-month loan deal on transfer deadline day, September 1.
But he is back at Rockliffe Park this morning after England U21 defender Taylor's participation in Saturday's game at Wigan was put in doubt.
"We've recalled Jonathan as a precautionary measure as Andrew has a problem with a hip flexor muscle," said manager Gareth Southgate this morning.
"We don't know the extent of Andrew's injury, that's being assessed, but we've brought Jonathan back as cover."
Thornaby-born Grounds made an outstanding Barclays Premier League debut against Liverpool at the Riverside last season and made his most recent Boro appearance in the 5-1 Carling Cup win over Yeovil in September.
Captain Emanuel Pogatetz's continued absence as he serves the second game of his three-match suspension for being sent off at Manchester United left Southgate short of defensive options with Taylor struggling.
Wales U21 international defender Rhys Williams is also unavailable with a knee ligament injury.
Norwich boss Glenn Roeder said there were no hard feelings over the decision to recall Grounds.
"If I was Gareth I would do the same," he told the Norwich Evening News. "I had a good chat with Gareth.
"His intentions were to leave him here. He had seen he'd been playing and Middlesbrough's scouts had been reporting back to him that he'd been doing well, which he had."
Former Academy scholar Grounds signed a new two-year Boro contract in March 2008.
Meanwhile, Southgate revealed this afternoon that as well as Andrew Taylor being a doubt for Wigan, Robert Huth has picked up a knock in training, while Gary O'Neil has been ill.
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