Charlton Athletic manager Johnnie Jackson has insisted that Jayden Stockley will now not be seen at his best until next season following his battles with injury in the 2021-22 season.
The target man, who was named the vice captain by ex-manager Nigel Adkins last summer following his permanent arrival from Preston North End, has been restricted to 26 appearances in League One this season.
Stockley had a good scoring record during his loan spell in 2020-21, scoring eight times in 22 outings for the Addicks, and he boasts a similar ratio in the current campaign with nine goals in 26 League One matches.
The 28-year-old brings more to the team than goals though and that presence at the top end of the pitch was missed in January and the majority of February, where Stockley missed 10 league matches due to a back injury.
With Stockley back starting games now, Charlton have picked up 10 points out of a possible 15 and whilst some of that could be down to the striker's presence, Jackson does not think that he will be at the peak of his powers until the following season begins.
"It hurt him being out, missing those games and seeing us struggling. He wanted to be a part of helping out as soon as possible," Jackson said, per the South London Press.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Jayden yet. You probably won’t see the best of him until next season. But he is a massive player for us, even when he is not completely 100 per cent.
“He contributes hugely on the pitch. It [the injury] is something he has to manage and we have to manage his workload and training load.
“If there are opportunities to look after him in games then I’ll look at that as well, but I haven’t had that luxury so far.
“A good rest over the close-season period, and I’d like to think when he comes back for pre-season everything will be completely resolved and then he’ll have a good run at it."
The Verdict
Stockley is clearly a key figure for Charlton and their recent upturn in results following his return cannot be a coincidence.
He occupies defenders and brings others into the game, meaning that the likes Alex Gilbey, Conor Washington and others have space to do what they do best.
It will have been a major blow to lose the striker for the best part of two months, and in that time Charlton only picked up 10 points out of a possible 30.
There's still time for him to hit double figures in the league this season as well, and considering he has two goals in his last four games it should be a tally he hits quite easily in the final few matches.