Middlesbrough centre-back Matt Clarke has been spotted back in training after a long injury lay-off.
The former Brighton man has had a frustrating spell on the sidelines but appears to be nearing a return to fitness. He was shown in pictures released by the club’s website, enjoying a session with the rest of the squad.
Clarke, 26, has been out since October of last year, missing all of Michael Carrick’s tenure as head coach up to this point. He has had nerve trouble in his back and has had to endure a torrid time trying to regain some sort of fitness, normally operating alone in that quest to get in shape.
The defender’s journey had been described as a ‘tough road’ by Carrick, only making six appearances last term, and being unavailable since the current boss’s arrival would suggest he is right.
However, his return to first team training could prove timely as Boro enter the international break, looking to put right this season’s disastrous run of results. The Teessiders have lost four out of five league games so far, leaking 11 goals in the process.
It is difficult to imagine that Carrick would throw Clarke straight in after such a long absence. But he does have a decent pedigree, and Clarke’s arrival at Boro back in August 2022 was lauded by then-manager Chris Wilder, who had long searched for a left-sided centre-back.
An inspired debut from Matt Clarke
As far as Wilder was concerned, Clarke was a round peg in a round hole in terms of the balance offered by a left-footed, left-sided centre-back. His Boro debut against Swansea was one to remember. He looked so at home with regard to defending his box, but he also looked like the cultured, ball-playing man the club had long searched for. One local reporter from The Northern Echo even referred to his debut as ‘inspired’.
Chris Wilder was effusive in his praise at the time of the new signing, insisting that he was ‘delighted’ to get Clarke in. The boss called him a ‘really good player’ and a ‘good leader’.
Sadly, that was not followed up and the niggles and injuries have mounted; so much so that most fans have not accounted for his existence when discussing the squad options this season.
Boro fans will hope that Clarke can come through these sessions unscathed and potentially apply pressure to the current defenders or even be given the chance to impress, maybe in their upcoming cup game against Bradford.
Currently Boro have Darragh Lenihan in the left-sided berth, with Dael Fry the right-sided centre-back. Paddy McNair and Rav van den Berg are the back-up options, but both have had to deputise in the right-back spot due to injuries and suspensions.
Before joining Middlesbrough, Matt Clarke was voted Player of the Year 4 seasons out of five at the clubs he played for, which included three clubs while on loan. Anything approaching that kind of form in the near future, coupled with the fact that he is the only left footed centre-back at the club, would surely see him back in the reckoning for a first team call-up.