Matt Crooks has had to settle for cameos from the bench in recent weeks for Middlesbrough, but the fact he's been available at all is quite remarkable, given he had surgery on a hernia less than a month ago.

Crooks' hernia seems to be common knowledge on Teesside - indeed, the midfielder mentioned it in passing himself in the club's Inside Matchday video from Norwich City. 

But what hasn't been made public is the fact the midfielder had surgery on the issue in the week leading up to the game against Huddersfield Town, the week before Michael Carrick took charge.

And showing quite remarkable powers of recovery, Crooks was back in the squad at Hull City three days after Carrick's first game in charge at Preston, coming off the bench in the 84th minute.

Carrick also turned to Crooks against Bristol City and Blackpool, with the former Rotherham man playing a total of 45 minutes in those two games. And he then came on in the 89th minute at Norwich City on Saturday, scoring the winner with his first touch.

Crooks will now benefit from the four-week break between Championship games and will return ready to play a key role in the second half of the season.

He faces a battle to force his way back into the midfield given the brilliance of Jonny Howson and Hayden Hackney in recent weeks, though a fully-fit Crooks has been an integral player for Boro since his arrival in the summer of 2021. And his versatility is also an asset. Interestingly, in some of his cameos from the bench he's been used as a centre-forward.

Crooks and his Boro teammates were given a week off after the win at Norwich City before returning to Rockliffe next week for what Carrick described as being like a "second pre-season". Boro play a friendly at Hibs a week on Saturday.