Middlesbrough new signing Julio Arca is out for three weeks with a broken foot.
The 25-year-old, Gareth Southgate’s only summer signing so far, fractured a bone in a foot in the first half of Saturday’s 3-2 Barclays Premiership defeat at Reading.
Boro, who play champions Chelsea at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday, led 2-0 at the Madejski Stadium before Reading fought back.
Arca was signed from Sunderland to replace Franck Queudrue following his move to Fulham.