Boro boss Gordan Strachan said the Australian striker would play in one of the two upcoming fixtures.

"Scott might make one game for us," Strachan said.

He said a lack of regular game time prior to joining at the Riverside was a concern.

"It's about four months since he's played regular football, so it might be too much to ask to get more out of him. So if we get one game, that would be good," Strachan told the Evening Gazette.

Boro play two relegation strugglers in Crystal Palace and Plymouth Argyle on Saturday and Easter Monday respectively.

Middlesbrough have won just one of their last five and are seven points adrift of a promotion play-off place.

The return will mark a quicker than expected recovery that has seen McDonald miss just two games.

He has scored once in his seven appearances for Middlesbrough.