Conway is expected to be back in two to four weeks, a timeline that gives Middlesbrough a realistic lift rather than a distant target. He reportedly cut short part of his summer break to speed up his rehabilitation, and that urgency fits the moment.
For Boro, his return would matter beyond simple squad numbers:
His point about absentees around the opening game against Wrexham was telling. Promotion campaigns in the Championship rarely go to the most exciting XI; they usually go to the teams that survive the attrition.
The harder part of Conway’s summer was not only the surgery, but what it cost him internationally. “From that moment on it hit home I wasn't going to be able to go to the World Cup,” he said, before adding: “For a week or two after that I was probably the lowest I've ever been. My parents had probably never seen me so quiet.”
That sense of personal loss gives his return target extra weight. Missing Scotland duty clearly hurt, and players often carry that frustration into their recovery with extra focus.
Conway’s belief in the squad feels rooted in experience, not empty optimism. “The depth now will definitely make us stronger going forward this season and will make us a real contender for promotion,” he said.
That is the key theme around Middlesbrough: not just talent, but cover, resilience and a dressing room that still seems driven by last season’s disappointment.
If Conway’s recovery stays on track, the next few weeks could bring one of Boro’s most important early-season boosts - and the next storyline will be whether his return arrives just as the promotion race begins to take shape.