Aidan Morris and other Boro stars absent at Celtic as teenage defender starts

A bug is understood to have run through the camp in the days leading up to the Celtic friendly - which is the first of only two public-facing games Boro are playing this summer ahead of the new season.

Morris was one of five Boro players missing because of the illness. Sontje Hansen, Alex Bangura, Finley Munroe and George Edmundson were also not in Glasgow for the friendly.

Summer signing Kyle Joseph as well as Tommy Conway and Riley McGree were also missing from the Boro team as the trio recover from injuries they suffered at the end of last season.

It is hoped that Conway and McGree will both be back available in and around Boro’s first Championship game of the new season against Lincoln City on August 15, while Joseph’s recovery time is less certain at this stage.

Despite their absences, Hellberg named a strong starting XI against the Scottish champions, with six of the XI starting the Championship play-off final two months ago.

New man Myles Peart-Harris also started alongside Jeremy Sarmiento, Leo Castledine and Neto Borges, who will all hope to use pre-season to impress the Boro boss.

The 11th starter for 19-year-old centre-back Jack Daley. The teenager impressed last season for the under-21s after joining Boro from non-league side Newcastle Blue Star, where he made over 30 appearances.

Starting XI: Brynn, Brittain, Ayling, Daley, Borges, Malanda, Castledine, Whittaker, Sarmiento, Peart-Harris, Strelec.

Subs: Dieng, McLaughlin, Dede, Baptiste, McCormick, Cartwright, McCabe, Kante, Burgzorg, Ibeh, Sene.

Middlesbrough are preparing for a big summer as they look to rebuild from the heartarche of missing out on promotion to the Premier League.

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