Touchline torment for Reiziger

By Andrew Haslam

Michael Reiziger has been a frustrated observer as Middlesbrough FC have begun the new season in style. A shoulder injury has sidelined the Dutch defender since August and in the meantime the English club have won their opening two UEFA Cup group stage games to top Group E and lie fourth in the Premiership after 14 games.

Shoulder setback
The Dutch right-back has made only two first-team appearances but at last he feels he is close to returning to full fitness. "The team has started the season very, very well and I am really keen to get back," he told uefa.com. "Looking on from the sidelines is difficult, as you want to contribute. But the injury is getting better, I recently played for the reserves and felt good. My shoulder is still not strong enough so I need to work on that and I hope to be back in the first team in two to three weeks."

Truncated start
The former FC Barcelona defender admits his attempts to settle in have been hampered, saying: "The injury has been very frustrating, and has obviously disrupted my start to the season. I played the first two games but I had the injury, having sustained it in a pre-season friendly. I tried to play on, but it became too much."

Young contenders
Middlesbrough's season has been characterised by a number of young players who have made an impression in the absence of more seasoned professionals. Stewart Downing in particular and James Morrison have featured in midfield, while first Stuart Parnaby and then Tony McMahon have filled the right-back role. "It's good that they have come in and done so well," Reiziger said. "Competition is good for the team, both Stuart and Tony are good players and it shows that we can go a long way because when one player is injured, another can come in and do a good job."

'Winning combination'
Reiziger, who appeared four times as the Netherlands reached the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2004™ before retiring from international football after 72 caps, feels that the club's mixture of experienced campaigners and promising youngsters is a potent cocktail. "We have a good squad," he said. "There's lots of very young players in it, which is a big bonus. A mixture of youth and experience is always a winning combination."

European debut
The English League Cup holders advanced to the group stage, in what is their first European campaign, after a two-legged win against FC Baník Ostrava. They have since won against Egaleo FC and S.S. Lazio in Group E, with 2003/04 semi-finalists Villarreal CF next for Steve McClaren's side. "The team has done very well in the UEFA Cup," Reiziger continued. "I know Villarreal quite well from my time in Spain. They are a good team, and it will be a difficult game but there is more pressure on them. One point should be enough for us to get through and therefore our first priority will be not to lose."

Aiming high
As for the rest of the season, the Dutchman has clear objectives. "I think we can realistically aim to qualify for the [UEFA] Champions League by finishing fourth [in the Premiership]," he said. "In the UEFA Cup, anything beyond the group stage is a bonus. In any season you will have ups and downs - we just hope to finish on a high."