Arca: Dropped

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Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has explained his decision to drop captain Julio Arca.

Arca has hit a real slump in form in recent weeks and his poor display against Cardiff in the FA Cup defeat was seemingly the last straw for Southgate.

The Boro boss left out both Arca and his midfield partner Fabio Rochemback from the Premier League clash with Aston Villa and he got the response he wanted with George Boateng and Mohamed Shawky both putting in admirable displays.

Confidence

"There are times when players aren't at their best when you either try to allow them to play their way through it or take them out of the firing line for a little while and allow them to get their confidence back and take a breather and reassess," said Southgate.

"I felt Julio just needs that little break from the team. He's a fantastic player. He'll be back, he's very much with us and he desperately wants to do well for this football club.

"He understands why I've left him out, he went with the squad, he wants to be part of it and he's a terrific character so he'll be back in with us. But I felt it was right to change that area of the field for the game."

Coincidentally, Arca is understood to have signed a new two-and-half-year contract on the day he was dropped.

Praise

Southgate was also full of praise for Boateng and Shawky - who performed so well at Villa Park in a game Boro should have won.

"Shawky showed us at Portsmouth just after Christmas what a good player he is," said Southgate.

"He plays in a very disciplined way and he's a good athlete.

"We asked them, George and Shawky, to do a sitting job in the middle of the park, they went up against their midfield and stopped them from playing.

"They did a terrific job for us."

Meanwhile, Boro reserve keeper Brad Jones has been ruled out for six weeks with a dislocated finger.