Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray has revealed that the club's central midfield options have already been allocated for next season.

Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran has been linked with a loan return to the Riverside Stadium, but Mowbray insists that he is happy with his current options in that position.

The 49-year-old told the Northern Echo: "I'm not sure if the position is open now. We've brought [Dean] Whitehead and [Jozsef] Varga in, and Josh is really only a central midfield player.

"He's a very talented boy and, for half a season last year, he performed at a high level for us.

"But I think those positions are probably filled in our team now. We'll wait and see, but it's not something that we've really discussed or talked about."

McEachran made 38 appearances for Middlesbrough last season.