Season over for Duff

By Lewis Rutledge   Subscribe to RSS Feed

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An ankle injury has brought Damien Duff's first season at Newcastle to a premature end.

The Republic of Ireland international was replaced by Albert Luque towards the end of Newcastle's 2-1 defeat to Portsmouth on Saturday.

The winger was sent for an X-ray after the match at Fratton Park and manager Glenn Roeder has now admitted he will be unavailable for the last few weeks of the season.

He will therefore miss Newcastle's four remaining Premiership games against Chelsea, Reading, Blackburn and Watford.

Duff has struggled for form and fitness since joining The Magpies from Chelsea last July.

But Roeder feels Duff's recent performances have been lively and is sad to lose him for the end of the season.

"While an X-ray has shown there is no break, Damien has a badly swollen ankle and our medical people tell us that he will not be able to play again this season," Roeder told the club's official website.

"It's bad luck for Damien coming at a time when he was beginning to show the sort of form we have been looking for from him."

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