Michael Carrick can unleash wildcard Middlesbrough FC weapon if Jones and Doak leave | OneFootball

Marcus Forss is set to return to the Boro squad for their FA Cup tie vs Blackburn, and the Finnish forward could be like a new signing for the club...

Middlesbrough are faced with the possibility of losing both Isaiah Jones and Ben Doak in the January transfer window.

Boro have seemingly green-lit Jones' move to Luton Town as the right-winger reportedly underwent a medical with the Hatters on 9 January, after the two clubs agreed a deal worth up to £5m for the 25-year-old.

As for Doak, their Liverpool loan star is the subject of growing Premier League interest this month, as the Reds are understood to be holding out for £30m for the Scotland international.

Therefore, Middlesbrough appear to be under serious threat of losing two starting options from their right flank. That would land a major blow to Michael Carrick's side, as they look to maintain their Premier League promotion push in the second half of the season.

However, it could present an opportunity for the Boro boss to unleash a wildcard option from the depths of his playing squad. A player who, despite enduring an injury-ravaged time on Teesside, has showcased his quality at Championship level on numerous occasions.

Signed on a four-year contract from Brentford in a deal worth a reported £3.24m, Marcus Forss arrived at the Riverside Stadium having evidenced his ability to score goals at Championship level from his time with the Bees.

Then 23, Forss played an important role in Brentford's promotion to the Premier League, scoring eight goals and providing one assist in 42 Championship appearances during the 2020/21 season.

Having been afforded a handful of Premier League appearances the following year, Forss was allowed to depart the club in the 2022 January window, joining Championship side Hull City on loan until the end of the season.

He would struggle to make an impression with the Tigers though, and upon returning to Brentford in the summer of 2022, the Bees decided it was time for the Finn to seek pastures new.

Teesside was to be his destination, joining Chris Wilder's ranks ahead of what many Boro fans believed would be an exciting season in prospect. He would settle into a rotational role during his debut season in the North East, with 24 of his 38 league appearances coming from the starting XI.

He was able to bag 10 goals and five assists in all competitions in the 2022/23 season, proving himself to be a smart addition to the squad in the process. Many expected him to build on his impressive debut season the following year, but little did anyone know that a trait which would come to somewhat define his time with the club would emerge - injuries.

After suffering a hamstring problem in March 2024, the Finland international would be sidelined for seven months. The 25-year-old would return in October, but niggling ailments continued to set him back on his road to a full recovery.

This has capped Forss' involvement to just four appearances in the first half of the 2024/25 season, but Carrick has confirmed that the versatile forward will be involved in Middlesbrough's FA Cup Third Round tie with Blackburn Rovers on 11 January.

Forss not only could cover Jones and Doak exits, but he could step into centre-forward role should Emmanuel Latte Lath depart

Forss' return is coming at a potentially vital stage of Middlesbrough's season too, with Carrick potentially on the verge of losing his first and second choice right-wingers this month in Doak and Jones respectively.

Aside from Forss, Boro's only other senior and natural option to fill that potential void on the right flank would be Micah Hamilton, but the 21-year-old summer recruit from Manchester City looks a raw and unrefined talent, who could be better served heading out on loan this month.

It's not just the wide positions that Forss can potentially provide essential cover at, as prior to his Middlesbrough move, he'd spent the vast majority of his career plying his trade as a centre-forward.

That ability to operate as a number nine could come very much in handy to Carrick in the second half of the season, as reported interest in Emmanuel Latte Lath continues to grow.

With Tommy Conway still potentially a number of weeks away from returning from his hamstring issue, Middlesbrough would be down to the bare bones in the striking department should Latte Lath depart imminently.

So, Forss' return could act as a new signing for the Teessiders, and provide Carrick with a wildcard to play as Boro move towards the business end of the campaign.