'Unlucky' Bangura a big unknown heading into next season

SIERRA Leone international Alex Bangura can count himself one of the unluckiest players to have worn the Boro shirt in recent years.

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Last summer I confidently expected him to dominate the left-back role at the Riverside.

No doubt he had similar plans.

But injury struck - again - and Bangura spent the whole of last season either on the treatment table or working on his fitness.

It can sometimes be difficult for players to bounce back immediately from long injuries so we must wait to see whether Bangura can make a similar impact as before.

And this time he will find the competition even tougher, despite the fact that fellow left-back Lukas Engel has moved on.

The reason is that Neto Borges has found several higher gears now that he has finally come to terms with the rigours of life in Championships football.

Borges was a revelation in the closing months of the campaign, even though most of the time he was playing at centre-back.