Carrick on Morgan Rogers’ Boro future after Chelsea goal amid Aston Villa interest

Middlesbrough’s Morgan Rogers scores against Chelsea (Image: PA)

MICHAEL Carrick insists he has “no reason to believe” Morgan Rogers won’t be a Middlesbrough player at the end of the January transfer window amid Aston Villa’s ongoing interest in the forward.

Rogers scored a fine goal for Boro in their 6-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night as Carrick’s side saw their Carabao Cup run brought to a painful end against Chelsea.

With Saturday’s scheduled game against Birmingham City postponed because Tony Mowbray’s side are in FA Cup action, Boro don’t play again until Sunderland visit the Riverside a week on Sunday – by which stage the January window will have closed.

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Asked whether he still believes Rogers will be a Boro player at that stage, Carrick said: “You’ll keep reading a lot of things at this time of year, don’t read too much into it to be honest.

“He’s our player at the minute so I have no reason to believe anything otherwise.”

Villa are said to have identified Rogers as their top January target and had two bids for the 21-year-old knocked back this week.

The Premier League side are expected to return with an improved bid, though Boro will stand firm until their valuation is met. Rogers has three-and-a-half years to run on his contract.