Newcastle’s Paul Dummett on his calf injury problems

PAUL DUMMETT admits it was a relief to end six months of injury hell as he returned to action in Newcastle’s weekend draw with Watford, although the defender also accepts the late concession to Joao Pedro took the sheen off what could have been a memorable day.

Dummett made his first appearance since the final day of last season as the Magpies were held at St James’ Park, drawing a line under a difficult period that saw him suffer a series of injury setbacks.

Things did not look too bad when the full-back pulled his calf in pre-season, but it quickly became apparent the injury was more serious than initially thought and it has taken more than half-a-year for Dummett to battle his way back to full fitness.

Missing such a big chunk of time would have been difficult for anyone. But given Dummett’s age – he turned 30 in September – and the scale of the transformation Newcastle are going through under their new Saudi Arabian owners, the last few months have proved especially challenging.

“Where do I start,” said Dummett. “Pre-season was the worst, I think, when I first pulled my calf. I thought I would be injured for three weeks at the time, but it’s taken longer than expected, with a couple of setbacks here and there.

“It’s been tough, in the gym all the time. Watching from the stands hasn’t been great. I was happy being back out there, all the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made to make sure I was ready to play. It felt nice.

“It was amazing to be back. Thankfully, the manager picked me, and I tried to do my best for the team. But unfortunately, we couldn’t take the three points.”

Leading through Allan Saint-Maximin’s goal at the start of the second half, Newcastle’s players were unable to hold on to their advantage, a failing that has been apparent all season.

Dummett admits there was a mood of intense disappointment in the dressing room after the final whistle, with the draw leaving Newcastle rooted in the bottom three.

“It was a sucker-punch with their goal, and to take one point is a big blow,” admitted Dummett, in an interview with NUFC TV. “It feels like two points lost rather than one point gained, especially against a team that’s around us in the league. We were desperate for the three points.

“It feels like a loss because we were winning for quite a big period of the game. They’ve only had two clear chances, and one was obviously the goal. Everyone’s disappointed – we know it’s a big opportunity missed really.”