Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards has told Alex Gilbert to step up and make his case for game time, after honestly admitting they explored a loan move that didn’t transpire at the end of the summer transfer window.

Throughout his time at Boro , Gilbert has struggled to earn regular pitch time and spent the second half of last season helping Charlton Athletic achieve promotion to the Championship. A new manager at Boro this summer offered the former Brentford man a fresh opportunity to impress.

That doesn’t appear to have transpired, however, with the 23-year-old rarely used in pre-season and yet to kick a ball since the start of the campaign. An unused sub against Swansea City and Doncaster Rovers, he’s since failed to even make the match-day 20 for Boro’s last three.

With that in mind

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