Milton Keynes Dons will be without Jay Matete for the rest of the season after the midfielder confirmed he has undergone surgery.
The 25-year-old arrived in Buckinghamshire in January from Sunderland, as part of Paul Warne’s push for reinforcements as the Dons challenge at the top of League Two.
Campaign Over For Matete
However, the former Bolton Wanderers loanee will play no further part in MK Dons’ season after suffering a hamstring injury against Crawley Town a week ago.
In his seventh appearance for the club since making his switch from the Stadium of Light, the midfielder managed 37 minutes before going down just outside of his own penalty area, before being taken off and replaced by Dan Crowley.
In a post on social media, Matete confirmed that his season was over, by taking a picture of himself following surgery in hospital.
Speaking to the MK Citizen following the match against the Red Devils, Paul Warne said of his condition:
“Jay was playing really well in midfield, so it was a massive blow to take him off. When we signed him, he hadn’t played a lot of football but in his head he was ready.
“He’s trained really well, he looked a lot better tonight. We played with four midfielders and that really suited him. He had tenacity, he won the ball, added a bit of calm, and that’s why we brought him here.
“For him to put in that sort of performance and then to come off, it’s a blow. I feel for him. He’s not played a lot of football in the last nine months, so for that to happen is a massive blow for the kid.”
Disastrous Move For Matete
Jay Matete’s time to leave Sunderland came in January, with no chance of breaking into their Premier League plans and the Black Cats did well to recoup some costs with a sale to MK Dons.
However, it has been far from ideal for the midfielder since his arrival in Buckinghamshire, only being able to play more than 45 minutes once, in their FA Cup game against Oxford United.
Now, his season is over through a hamstring injury, which will be a tough blow as he looked to establish himself at a new club and started to deliver some promising performances.
It is up to MK Dons to help him through this injury and soldier on without him for the remainder of the season, before hopefully bringing him back to full fitness and ready to contribute regardless of what division they find themselves in.
