Christie underwent a hernia operation last summer

Middlesbrough striker Malcolm Christie has broken his leg during training.

Christie was injured at the club's Rockliffe Park training ground on Tuesday and rushed to hospital, where his leg was put in plaster following the break to his right tibia.

The 24-year-old has been a regular in the Boro side this season, with 11 appearances and two goals to his credit, after joining the Riverside club for �3m from Derby in January 2003.

But he now faces a lengthy absence depending on the extent of his injury as the club decide whether Christie will undergo surgery.

"He was seeing the specialist on Wednesday and hopefully we'll know more on Thursday," said a Boro spokesman.

Competition for places is always healthy and we'll try to create competition in January Steve McClaren

Manager Steve McClaren admitted the injury had come at a bad time for his side, with Boro currently 14th in the Premiership.

"It is an enormous blow for us to lose a key player this way," McClaren told the club's official website.

"We're clearly getting very little luck with injuries, but we have to get on with it."

Despite the return to fitness of Italian striker Massimo Maccarone, McClaren has few forward options at the club with Christie missing and Joseph-Desire Job also out with a knee ligament injury.

He has targeted the January transfer window in a bid to bolster his attack on Teesside.

"It's obviously a big boost to have Massimo fit again, but in January the transfer window provides a window of opportunity for us.

"We strengthened at the same stage last season, and our results improved after that. That's something myself and the chairman will be discussing over the next few weeks.

"Competition for places is always healthy - there's no better way to get the best out of people - and we'll try to create competition in January," added McClaren.