Another week, another injury, this time Lynden Gooch who will be out for up to three months after damaging an ankle ligament playing for the Under 23s last Monday. Before that, it was Paddy McNair, whose season ended with the injury picked up in the win against Hull City. Rachel Johnson* returns to our pages to report on mental challenge McNair faces as he battles to regain fitness …
According to Jason Denayer, Paddy McNair will have a difficult time watching football after suffering an injury which rules him out for the rest of the 2016-17 season.
McNair ruptured his cruciate ligament when playing in the important 3-0 home victory against Hull City last month.
The Northern Ireland player joined from Manchester United in the summer, signing signed a permanent contract, and after starting slowly had been performing well in his most recent games . David Moyes had seen the improvement, which adds to the frustration felt by player and club at his loss. You can click here for the latest soccer lines, especially in the Premier League.
Even though McNair was injured in the 42nd minute, Denayer was surprised to see his teammate endure the pain to play the rest of the match without complaining.
While speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, the on-loan Manchester City defender expressed his solidarity with the injured midfielder saying that any player whose season ends abruptly in this manner is left crestfallen. He added that McNair will have to find the strength to recover fully despite being unable to play as the season continues.
“McNair will find it difficult seeing other players actively participating in league football, while he is out injured,” said Denayer. He added that it was surprising to hear the Ulsterman had been ruled out for the rest of the season after managing to play so well in the second half despite the injury. In that match against Hull, Denayer shadowed the defensive-midfield role for Sunderland and he now has the opportunity to stake a claim for a long run in the side.
When asked about his own career plans, Denayer suggested he was seeking a stable role with a suitable club after a series of loan spells away from the Etihad. He has watched with admiration – and perhaps some envy – the progress of Virgil van Dijk, with whom he played at Celtic and who is now at Southampton.
Denayer admitted that he finds end-of-season moves difficult. It remain to be seen whether his future will be at the Stadium of Light although he says he has now started to find a “comfort zone” in the North East – because it is not so far away from Glasgow and the weather is almost the same.
* Our contributor Rachel Johnson is a native of Wales and describes herself as a lifelong supporter of ‘all things football and Rugby Union’. She now lives and works in London.