Ben Doak has picked up an untimely injury on loan at Middlesbrough, with the Liverpool winger set to miss a lengthy period as competition for his spot arrives.
Doak has been a key player for Middlesbrough throughout the campaign so far, with three goals and seven assists in 24 appearances in the Championship.
But the 19-year-old was absent from Monday night’s 3-2 loss to Sunderland – who themselves were yet to confirm Jayden Danns‘ deadline-day loan switch – having picked up a thigh injury.
Middlesbrough are yet to learn the full extent of the issue, but speaking to journalists including the Northern Echo‘s Dominic Shaw after the match, manager Michael Carrick confirmed “it won’t be days.”
“He just felt his thigh during the week in training. We’ll see how it is,” he explained.
“It won’t be a few days, it will be longer. Probably weeks, not ages but yeah, it won’t be days.”
Shaw described the injury as a “hammer blow” to Middlesbrough‘s prospects, particularly as clashes with promotion favourites Sheffield United and playoff rivals Watford and Bristol City loom.
For Doak it could be more of a concern given a late flurry of transfer activity at Riverside, with three forwards brought in.
Right winger Morgan Whittaker arrived from Plymouth in a £5 million deal at the end of January, before loans were finalised for Aston Villa left winger Samuel Iling-Junior and Sevilla striker Kelechi Iheanacho on deadline day.
Whittaker started in Doak’s place on Monday night and as a permanent signing will be hoping to make a strong case to take over as first choice moving forward.
TeesideLive‘s Craig Johns rated his debut as a five out of 10, however.
“Started brightly and had a couple of nice early touches,” Johns wrote. “But he faded in the game and offered very little from a defensive point of view while struggling to get into the game in important areas.”
Liverpool rejected two offers for Doak in the winter window, those to the value of £15 million from Crystal Palace and £16 million from Ipswich, with the decision taken to keep him at Middlesbrough.
That comes as, according to The Athletic‘s James Pearce, club officials are “delighted with his development” and “believe he can be part of Arne Slot‘s first-team plans next season.”
If the nature of the injury is serious it is likely that rehabilitation will take place at the AXA Training Centre, though that is not expected at this stage.
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