Gareth Southgate believes the international break has come at the right time and hopes to have his injured players back afterwards.

Boro were without Dong-Gook Lee, Mido, Jeremie Aliadiere, Julio Arca, Robert Huth and Emanuel Pogatetz for the trip to Manchester City on Sunday and Southgate will be looking for some of them to return against Chelsea in the next game.

"We've got players to come back in forward positions and we're creating chances. We certainly shouldn't be conceding the type of goals we're conceding at the moment," he said.

"The last break came at the wrong time for us and this one is coming at the right time. It gives us a chance to get some bodies fit and get on the training ground with the players who are staying behind.

"We have to roll our sleeves up, we know it's a tough time for us.

"Any team with three or four first-choice players missing has a problem, that's obvious. But what we have to do is get results with the team we put out."