Goal-shy Middlesbrough striker Ayegbeni Yakubu is facing a fight to hold on to his place as manager Gareth Southgate considers giving Lee Dong-Gook his chance.
Nigerian Yakubu, 24, has not found the back of the net in 11 games since scoring his 16th of the season in the 2-1 Barclays Premiership win over Reading on February 24.
In the meantime, 31-year-old Australian Mark Viduka has caught him up, collecting his 16th goal of the campaign in Saturday's 3-2 home defeat by Tottenham.
Boro are not yet mathematically guaranteed of their place in the top flight for next season, at the moment needing to collect a single point from their last two games against relegation candidates Wigan and Fulham to end their fears.
With South Korea international Lee breathing down his neck, Yakubu could make way as Southgate attempts to freshen things up.
Southgate said: "It's 11 games now without a goal now for Yakubu. It's a long spell, but I have left him in because you always feel that your strikers are capable of coming up with something.
"Yakubu is a good player and has scored a lot of goals here. He had a spell like this earlier in the season but he came through it.
"But I will have to look at it and decide what to do. I have got the option to start with Lee Dong-Gook, who gives us something different, but I will have to think about what is the best way forward."
Yakubu arrived at Boro from Portsmouth in July 2005, and seemed certain to become the first man to score 20 goals in a season for the club since Fabrizio Ravanelli in 1996-97.
However, having reached 19 by the February of his first season, he did not score again as then manager Steve McClaren attempted to balance extended runs in the UEFA Cup and FA Cup with the demands of the Premiership by rotating his frontmen.
Southgate told the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette: "Yakubu did not play very often towards the end of last season, so he did not get the chance to score goals."
A repeat this time around has coincided with a run of poor form for the Teessiders, who have lost six of the 11 games they have played since Yakubu was last on target.
Lee has had to remain patient since his arrival from Pohang Steelers in January, and has started just one game - he was substituted at half-time in the 3-1 home defeat by Manchester City on March 17.
In nine appearances to date, he has yet to score, but Southgate could now be ready to throw him in.
In the meantime, 31-year-old Australian Mark Viduka has caught him up, collecting his 16th goal of the campaign in Saturday's 3-2 home defeat by Tottenham.
Boro are not yet mathematically guaranteed of their place in the top flight for next season, at the moment needing to collect a single point from their last two games against relegation candidates Wigan and Fulham to end their fears.
With South Korea international Lee breathing down his neck, Yakubu could make way as Southgate attempts to freshen things up.
Southgate said: "It's 11 games now without a goal now for Yakubu. It's a long spell, but I have left him in because you always feel that your strikers are capable of coming up with something.
"Yakubu is a good player and has scored a lot of goals here. He had a spell like this earlier in the season but he came through it.
"But I will have to look at it and decide what to do. I have got the option to start with Lee Dong-Gook, who gives us something different, but I will have to think about what is the best way forward."
Yakubu arrived at Boro from Portsmouth in July 2005, and seemed certain to become the first man to score 20 goals in a season for the club since Fabrizio Ravanelli in 1996-97.
However, having reached 19 by the February of his first season, he did not score again as then manager Steve McClaren attempted to balance extended runs in the UEFA Cup and FA Cup with the demands of the Premiership by rotating his frontmen.
Southgate told the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette: "Yakubu did not play very often towards the end of last season, so he did not get the chance to score goals."
A repeat this time around has coincided with a run of poor form for the Teessiders, who have lost six of the 11 games they have played since Yakubu was last on target.
Lee has had to remain patient since his arrival from Pohang Steelers in January, and has started just one game - he was substituted at half-time in the 3-1 home defeat by Manchester City on March 17.
In nine appearances to date, he has yet to score, but Southgate could now be ready to throw him in.
Copyright (c) Press Association
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