McClaren: Viduka is not for sale
Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren has warned the Premiership poachers Mark Viduka is not for sale, as frustration grows over his own desire to further strengthen the squad.
Viduka has frequently been linked with a move away from the Riverside in recent months, with north-east rivals Newcastle apparently among the Australia striker’s suitors.
But Viduka underlined his importance to McClaren and Boro during Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham and is due to start only his second match since Boxing Day at Birmingham tomorrow.
It was at St Andrews eight months ago Viduka sustained a hamstring injury that saw him miss the remainder of last season, other than a failed 12-minute comeback against Crystal Palace in early April.
The 29-year-old would now appear to be fully fit again, particularly after tormenting the Spurs defence at White Hart Lane following his arrival at the start of the second half for the injured Aiyegbeni Yakubu.
The £7m (€10.3m) summer signing from Portsmouth sustained a gashed Achilles that required eight stitches and is one of three forwards ruled out of tomorrow’s trip to City, along with Szilard Nemeth [ankle] and Malcolm Christie [leg fracture].
That just leaves Viduka, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Massimo Maccarone available, with the latter again subject of a renewed bid from Siena, where he spent most of last season on loan.
But McClaren is adamant Viduka is staying as he said: “Mark came on on Saturday and proved what a great player he is, one of the best in the Premier League.
“I know there has been a lot of speculation about him at the present moment, but we’ve had no contact from any clubs.
“As the chairman [Steve Gibson] stated earlier, and I will state now, we don’t want to lose our best players at this football club – and Mark Viduka is one of them.”
Instead, it is additions McClaren is desperate for, especially in midfield where Boro are particularly lightweight, and with injuries again starting to mount.
The squad was riddled with injury worries last season, with as many as 11 key players on the sidelines at one stage.
That resulted in the club slipping from Champions League hopefuls to being a converted penalty away in the final minute of the last match of last season from missing out on the UEFA Cup.
Sporting Lisbon duo Roudolphe Douala and Fabio Rochemback are the latest to be linked with Boro, with McClaren adding: “We’re frustrated with every move we make. We’re just hoping things move forward in this final week because in the midfield area we are short and we do need two players.
“But there are lots of different criteria when you try to sign a player this late on in the transfer window.
“It depends on the circumstances of the player, the club and whether they need to sell, whether they want to sell, whether they are asking too much.
“But we’ve stated we need two more players since the beginning of the season, and so it’s very frustrating coming into the last week and we still haven’t got them. We’ve still a week to go and we’re still hopeful, with quite a few names we’re exploring this week.”
But with Yakubu, Nemeth, Christie, Chris Riggott, Stuart Parnaby, Tony McMahon and Danny Graham all out, the injury situation is already starting to gnaw away at McLaren.
“After what we went through last season it’s worrying,” confirmed McClaren.
“What stopped us finishing higher than seventh and going further in Europe was the amount of injuries we had. Already this season we’ve had a few knocks, but we’re coping with them at the present moment. Any more, though, and it will hinder us, particularly in the midfield.”
Boro head to Birmingham with both sides still looking for their first win of the season after taking a point apiece from their opening two matches.
For McClaren, St Andrews is not a happy hunting ground after suffering 2-0 and 3-1 defeats on his last two defeats, with the hope the scenario is not repeated.
“If we want to improve on last season then this is a side we have to beat,” insisted McClaren.
“Every time we go to St Andrews we say that, but in the past two visits we’ve got nothing and I’ve ended being very angry at the end of each game.
“But the players know what they have to do. I’ve told them in no uncertain terms, and they are as determined as anybody because we need to do something tomorrow.”
