Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder has confirmed that Matt Crooks suffered a knee injury during the club's recent meeting with Stoke City.

The midfielder was substituted during the second-half of this fixture after picking up his issue at the bet365 Stadium.

Boro went on to seal a point in this particular showdown with the Potters following Crooks' withdrawal.

Duncan Watmore and Andraz Sporar both missed chances to seal victory for Wilder's side in what turned out to be a tight affair on Saturday.

Watmore slipped when well-placed to score whilst Sporar blazed a volley over the bar in the second-half.

Meanwhile, Tyrese Campbell squandered a great opportunity to score for Stoke as he fired wide after being played through by Mario Vrancic.

Currently ninth in the Championship standings, Middlesbrough will be hoping that Crooks will be able to make a swift recovery from his injury as the club look to launch a push for a play-off place in the New Year.

Ahead of his side's showdown with AFC Bournemouth next weekend, Wilder shared an update on Crooks' issue.

Speaking to the Northern Echo about the midfielder, the Boro boss said: "He's just had a little bit of an issue with his knee."

The Verdict

When you consider that Crooks has become a key figure for Middlesbrough this season, the Championship side cannot really afford to lose him for a prolonged period.

With the midfielder set to be assessed, the club's fans will be hoping that his injury doesn't turn out to be too serious.

In the 21 league appearances that he has made for Boro during the current campaign, Crooks has scored four goals whilst he has also chipped in with two assists.

Currently averaging an impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.12 in the Championship, the former Northampton Town man could potentially end up being the driving force behind Middlesbrough's play-off push if he is able to maintain his consistency in the coming months.