Boro boss lifts lid on midfielder absence

Gareth Southgate claims Gary O'Neil missed Boro's FA Cup tie with Barrow due to a hamstring injury not to avoid him becoming cup-tied.

The Middlesbrough chief has spoken out after chief executive Keith Lamb confirmed on Monday that the midfielder had not followed Stewart Downing's lead and handed in a transfer request to leave the Riverside this January.

Southgate claims O'Neil missed the 2-1 win against the Blue Square Conference side because of a niggling problem and not to pave the way for him to make a return to Portsmouth - who Boro bought him from in a £5million deal in August 2007.

Southgate said: "Gary has had a hamstring injury for a few weeks and then played two full games in four days.

"He's still felt it a little bit, so we thought if he was going to miss a game then Barrow was the one."

There were reports that O'Neil was still unsettled in the North-East, despite his claims to the contrary at the start of the season, and Lamb revealed earlier in the week that he has not asked to leave.

Lamb said: "We have not received a transfer request from Gary but if we did receive one then it would be rejected, as would any offer from another club.

"We believe that this squad of players is strong enough to substantially improve our league position and we are committed to keeping the squad together."