Liverpool’s Ben Doak has confirmed he won’t play again this season due to injury.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed an impressive campaign on loan at Middlesbrough and was a regular in the team over the autumn and winter months. Doak scored three and provided seven assists in 24 games and his fine run even attracted Premier League interest, with Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town reportedly enquiring about the player in January.
He ultimately stayed at the Riverside but has now missed three months due to a thigh injury that required surgery in March. Manager Michael Carrick admitted last week that it looked unlikely Doak would play any part in the final weeks of the season, but the player has now confirmed the news.
“Not the way i wanted to finish this season off through injury but what a time ive had here,” Doak wote on Instagram. “Thanks to all the players, staff and fans at Middlesbrough for making my time at the club as good as what it was. I will be forever grateful and wish everyone at the club the best of luck for the future.”
Unusually, there has been no confirmation from the club or manager, although few expected him to play for Middlesbrough again this season. “It will get to that stage but we’re not writing anything off yet as you probably understand. But at this stage of the season it’s pretty late, so it’s obviously not looking likely anytime soon,” Carrick said last week.
That Boro is likely to miss out on a Championship playoff spot – and subsequently extend the length of the season – could also have influenced the timing of Doak’s post. The North-East club drew 0-0 with Norwich City on Saturday, meaning it sits in ninth place heading into the final weekend of the Championship season.
Boro can still finish in the top six but it would require an unlikely sequence of results next Saturday, including a Middlesbrough win at sixth-place Coventry City and for at least two of Bristol City (fifth), Millwall (seventh) and Blackburn Rovers (eight) to fail to win.
“It’s just disappointment because we know what’s at stake,” Carrick said after Saturday’s slip-up, the side’s fourth in the last five matches. “We wanted to get the points and we didn’t get them. It’s pretty obvious now what needs to happen. We know where it’s at and we just have to go to Coventry trying to win the game.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Boro’s downturn in form has coincided with Doak’s injury – the team even lost four on the bounce after the teenager sustained the problem. “It’s not just an individual thing or an attacking thing,” said Carrick.
“It’s a team thing. We all do things to try and create chances for each other. We’ve scored a lot of goals in general this season. Today, we couldn’t find one, but there’s next week. Who knows.”
As for Doak, he will remain at Liverpool’s Kirkby training base – where he has been receiving treatment for several weeks – for the time being. A decision will be made on his next steps and whether he has a role to play in Arne Slot’s side next season. If not, a loan or even permanent exit seem possible for the ex-Celtic youth. Doak played 10 times under Jurgen Klopp and featured in Slot’s first pre-season at Liverpool last summer.
