Scotland’s head coach Steve Clarke has a serious injury concern ahead of next month’s Nations League playoff encounter with Greece, as Ben Doak could be sidelined for ‘a number of weeks.’
The 19-year-old Liverpool loanee was not included in Middlesbrough’s matchday squad for the EFL Championship promotion clash against Sunderland. Instead, January signing Morgan Whittaker took his place in the 3-2 defeat.
Doak had been linked with moves to Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace earlier in the window, with the two clubs reportedly bidding around £16 million for the player, but with Liverpool valuing him at £30 million, he was expected to stay at the Riverside Stadium until the end of the season.
His exclusion raised fears among Teesside fans that he would be released on deadline day, but head coach Michael Carrick stated that this was not the case prior to kick-off. “It’s nothing to do with the transfer window,” Carrick explained. “He got a knock in midweek, which is obviously frustrating. He’s also played a lot of football and has had a long career.”
Middlesbrough were defeated at home despite goals from Delano Burgzog and ex-Scotland under-21 international Hayden Hackey, as Sunderland won 3–0 with to goals from Dan Neil, Wilson Isidor, and a late Ryan Giles own goal. There was more bad news for Boro and Scotland fans after the game, with Carrick providing a more alarming update after full-time, stating to Sky Sports that Doak’s injury will not be temporary.
“Ben just felt his thigh during the week in training,” Carrick told me. “We’ll see how it goes. It will be more than just a few days. “Probably weeks, not ages, but it won’t be days.”
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