Bolton will strike transfer gold with Middlesbrough's Marcus Forss - but it relies on one condition | OneFootball

Middlesbrough forward Marcus Forss looks like a strong signing for Bolton Wanderers, but his recent injury record is a concern.

It is fair to say it has been a frustrating start to the season for Bolton Wanderers in League One.

After a poor first half of last season, it looked as though Bolton were back on track after a strong start to life under Steven Schumacher following his arrival in January, but they eventually missed out on the play-offs after failing to win any of their final six games of the campaign.

Schumacher has overhauled his squad this summer, with 14 new players arriving at the Toughsheet Community Stadium during the course of the transfer window, while there were also some high-profile departures, including captain George Thomason and last season's 19-goal top scorer Aaron Collins.

The squad refresh is yet to have the desired effect for the Trotters, who have won just one of their opening six league games of the new season, and familiar problems in front of goal have again been a problem during a run of four consecutive 1-1 draws.

In an attempt to solve his side's goalscoring issues, Schumacher turned to the transfer market on deadline day as he brought in striker Marcus Forss on a season-long loan from Middlesbrough, but while the deal looks a good one on paper, Wanderers supporters may be worried about his recent injury record.

Bolton Wanderers may have hit the jackpot with Marcus Forss, Middlesbrough deal

The departure of Collins to MK Dons has had a bigger impact than many Bolton supporters may have expected, with the club's current strikers struggling to fire in the opening weeks of the season.

Mason Burstow has been a shining light for the Trotters since his arrival on loan from Hull City, scoring three goals in his first seven appearances for the club, but John McAtee has only found the back of the net on one occasion, while Sam Dalby is yet to open his account following his summer move from Wrexham.

Despite the club rejecting a loan bid from Barnsley on deadline day, it seems McAtee has fallen out of favour under Schumacher after being left out of the matchday squad for the past two games, while Victor Adeboyejo is still sidelined as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury, so the need for another striker was clear, and in Forss, Wanderers may have found the perfect solution.

During his time at Brentford, Forss had a loan spell in League One with AFC Wimbledon in the 2019-20 season, and prior to his campaign being cut short by injury, he scored 11 goals and provided one assist in 19 games for the Dons, which underlines exactly what he is capable of in the third tier.

The 26-year-old may not have been able to establish himself with the Bees, but he still managed to score 19 goals in 74 appearances for the club, and that was enough to convince Middlesbrough to pay £3 million for his services in the summer of 2022.

After being moved to a right-wing role by Michael Carrick, Forss scored 10 goals and registered five assists in 42 games during a stunning debut season at the Riverside Stadium, but despite reaching the play-offs, he was unable to help his side to promotion.

Unfortunately for Forss, he has struggled to hit anywhere near the same heights in the subsequent years, and after an injury-hit couple of seasons, he arrives at the Toughsheet Community Stadium with a point to prove.

Bolton Wanderers and Steven Schumacher will have one big Marcus Forss concern

Forss has proven throughout his career that he is a clinical finisher, and given Bolton's wastefulness in front of goal this season, that could certainly be beneficial for the Lancashire outfit as they look to kickstart their campaign.

The Finland international will also offer useful versatility to Schumacher with his ability to play on the right or as a central striker, and there is no doubt that, if he can stay fit, he could be a real asset at League One level.

However, Forss featured just 23 times for Middlesbrough in the 2023-24 campaign due to injury, while he was limited to just 24 appearances last season, and having scored a combined total of just eight goals during those two years, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to get back to his best with the Trotters.

One reason for optimism for Schumacher is that Forss has now remained fit for almost nine months after making his comeback in January, but he has mainly been used as a substitute during that time, so he has not been exposed to the amount of game time he will be expected to complete for Wanderers.

Given Forss' recent injury record, his signing comes with big risks for the Trotters, especially if they are planning to use him as their first-choice number nine, but if he can remain out of the treatment room, he could potentially be the man to fire the club to promotion.