Morgan Whittaker arrival might be the beginning of the end for injury-hit Middlesbrough man | OneFootball

Injuries have been the story of Marcus Forss' Boro career, and those setbacks may now catch up with him thanks to Whittaker's arrival.

The January arrival of Morgan Whittaker could spell the end of Marcus Forss' Middlesbrough career.

Boro are enduring a highly frustrating and mistake-laden season in the Championship, as Michael Carrick's side seem to be swimming against a tide of their own making.

The Teessiders continue to hurt themselves with defensive errors and poor organisation at the back, with them seemingly finding a new way to leave points on the pitch with each passing game.

At the other end of the pitch, however, it's been a different story. Carrick has constructed one of the most potent attacking units in the Championship so far this term, and Boro's cutting edge was further sharpened with the winter arrival of Whittaker from Plymouth.

But, that might have been the final nail in Forss' Riverside coffin.

January signing of Morgan Whittaker could push Marcus Forss closer to Middlesbrough exit

Signed for an initial fee believed to be £5m plus add-ons, the 24-year-old was Middlesbrough's marquee signing of the winter transfer window.

A former England youth international, Whittaker truly announced his arrival as a top quality player in the Championship with an outstanding season as a Plymouth Argyle player in 2023/24, scoring 19 goals and providing eight assists in 46 league appearances.

In the midst of tearing up the second tier last term, his form had attracted the attention of Italian giants Lazio, who submitted an offer to Argyle to bring him to Serie A.

The Pilgrims decided to reject that approach, however, as they understandably deemed him far too important to their Championship survival bid in their first season in the division following their promotion from League One in 2022/23.

Having avoided relegation by a single point, Plymouth looked to begin establishing themselves in the division this season under new boss Wayne Rooney, but with the club sitting bottom of the Championship come the new year, the Manchester United and England legend was relieved of his duties.

Witnessing another relegation battle unfolding at Home Park, Whittaker evidently felt as though the club wasn't progressing, and as such, he needed to seek a move away to further his career. Despite rival interest from Burnley, he would find his new home with Middlesbrough.

A versatile forward player, Whittaker can operate on the left or right wing, as well as through the middle of the pitch either as an attacking midfielder or the lead centre-forward. It is, however, the right flank where he feels most natural and where his best production and performances have seemingly come from.

Injuries may catch up with Marcus Forss at Middlesbrough

That can only be bad news as far as Forss' Middlesbrough career is concerned.

The 25-year-old was signed from Brentford in the 2022 summer transfer window, and looked to have been brought in by Chris Wilder to be a striker, as that was the position where he'd pretty much been plying his trade during his career to that point.

However, it's been Carrick who's largely transformed him into a right-winger, with his outings as a centre-forward pretty much solely coming when injuries have arisen to others in that position.

The Finland international has adapted to the role pretty well when he's been on the pitch, but that's proved to be a difficult task for him, as recurring injury setbacks have been the story of his time on Teesside.

Ever since making 42 appearances in all competitions during his debut 2022/23 season as a Boro player, Forss has been fighting a losing battle against his fitness levels, and it's cost him the chance to ever really cement himself a place in Carrick's starting XI.

After coming on for the final minute of the game in Middlesbrough's 3-1 defeat away at Sheffield United on 12 February, that became just his 10th appearance of the season in all competitions, with just 195 minutes of Championship football to his name so far this term - per FotMob.

The 2025/26 season will be his final 12 months under contract at the Riverside Stadium, and this combination of constant injury woes and a plethora of quality players for competition means Middlesbrough may well see the summer as the right time to cash in on him.

Spaces in the squad are at a premium, and Boro may feel as though they are no longer willing to burn one of those spots on a player who has a track record of being unavailable for large sections of the season.

It would be a shame for Middlesbrough and Forss, as the Finn has shown himself to be a quality player and goal threat at Championship level during his spell in the North East, but right now, they just aren't getting enough value out of him that they perhaps could with somebody else.