Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann has confirmed that loanee Frankie Okoronkwo has picked up a hamstring injury that rules him out for the rest of the season.
The Everton forward spent the first half of the campaign at Lincoln City before being recalled by the Toffees in the January transfer window.
Okoronkwo returned to League One with Donny, but played just five times for the South Yorkshire outfit after struggling with injuries.
And this latest setback prematurely ends his campaign in March, ahead of his likely exit from Merseyside in the summer.
There was a fair bit of excitement when the Imps secured the loan signing of the 21-year-old in August. This was always likely to be a pivotal season in his career, with his contract set to run out at the end of June 2026. Having left Sunderland to join Everton for a £1m deal in 2021, Okoronkwo had a bright record in the Toffees youth setup. Having hit 10 goals in 39 Premier League 2 appearances, a loan spell at Salford City showcased his abilities in the senior game.
But he never had the same chance to get a proper run in the side at Sincil Bank, through a combination of reasons. As Sheffield United loanee Ryan Oné has proved, he has made the most of limited minutes to make a difference and potentially force his way into the starting XI. Okoronkwo made his first league start away at Burton Albion, but soon dropped out of the Imps matchday squad for two games.
While he did make the most of his next league start, scoring in the narrow victory over Doncaster, the Everton loanee just wasn’t consistent enough to become a regular feature for City. That was actually his second goal in as many games, after netting in the EFL Trophy victory at Barnsley. Following a quarter of an hour against Barnsley, he played just three more minutes before returning to the Hill Dickinson Stadium at the start of 2026.
It’s weird how football works. While Oné and Alfie Lloyd have come in and made a difference off the bench, hindsight probably shows that Okoronkwo was thrown in too quickly at Doncaster. After three league starts, grabbing a goal and an assist, he hasn’t featured for Rovers since. Hamstring knocks on both legs were expected to keep him out until the start of this month, but he won’t feature again for Donny this season.
How Have The Other Recalled Players Fared?
Justin Obikwu was the surprise departure in the winter window, and it caught the Imps a little off guard. Scoring three times in 17 League One matches, there was no doubting he was the best of these four loan players. However, Coventry City recalled him midway through his season-long loan, in favour of a permanent exit to Queens Park Rangers. However, Obikwu hasn’t yet made the Hoops squad for any of their eight Championship matches since he arrived in West London.
Dexter Lembikisa was signed late on transfer deadline as defensive cover, and served as exactly that. He made three League One cameos, starting twice in the EFL Trophy, before returning as scheduled in January. Back in the West Midlands, the Jamaican has returned to Wolves’ U21 side, playing all seven of their PL2 matches since his return. The 22-year-old grabbed an assist in their Premier League International Cup victory over Monaco U21’s last month.
Fin Barbrook is a player that the majority of Imps supporters are unlikely to have ever seen. He started all three EFL Trophy group stage matches and hardly put a foot wrong. But he was never going to dislodge the midfield pairing of Conor McGrandles and Tom Bayliss, and Ivan Varfolomeev’s early City appearances made his return to Ipswich Town inevitable. He linked up with Danny Cowley at Colchester United on loan for the remainder of the season, starting once and making five substitute appearances to date.