Liverpool loanee Doak may miss rest of Boro's season

Ben Doak has scored three times in his 24 games for Middlesbrough

On-loan Liverpool winger Ben Doak may have played his last game for Middlesbrough following surgery on his thigh.

Doak has returned to his parent club to undergo his rehabilitation, having last played for Boro on 25 January.

The thigh injury had seen the 19-year-old miss Boro's last six games, but he now faces a race against time to be fit, with just 11 Championship matches remaining.

"Ben's gone back to Liverpool to do some rehab at the moment so we'll see how that pans out," Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees.

"We'll speak to him, we'll have eyes on him but we'll have to judge it as it comes."

But the injury means that Doak will definitely miss Scotland's Nations League play-offs against Greece later this month.

Defender Luke Ayling will also miss Boro's next few games after injuring his ankle in the 1-0 win over Derby County.

"It'll definitely be weeks, it won't be days," said Carrick.

Ayling has made 26 appearances in the Championship this season after turning his loan move from Leeds United last term into a permanent one ahead of the current campaign.