Dyer unwell but not injured

Kieron Dyer today allayed fears over a new injury scare after he was withdrawn from Newcastle’s latest pre-season friendly with just 13 minutes gone.

Dyer, who has been plagued by injuries in the last two seasons, was replaced by Jermaine Jenas at Nottingham Forest with the game barely underway, sparking fears that his jinx had struck again.

But the player later confirmed that he had been feeling unwell with a virus before kick-off and asked to come off as things got worse.

“I have been feeling unwell since Monday and I realised I couldn’t play on,” he told the Journal. “I wasn’t 100 per cent before the game, but I haven’t got an injury.”

The news will come as a relief to Newcastle fans, who have seen their highly-rated England international midfielder struck down by stress fractures of the shin and foot, as well and a knee problem in the last two seasons.

The 23-year-old, who arrived at St James’ Park in July 1999 in a £6million move from Ipswich, will be a central figure in United’s challenge for honours this season, and both he and manager Sir Bobby Robson will be hoping he gets a run of fitness which will allow him to show his quality over a sustained period.

His first real challenge will come in a fortnight’s time when his side go into battle with either Norwegian side Lillestrom SK or NK Zeljeznicar, of Bosnia-Herzegovnia, in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier.

The Bosnians took a first leg lead over the Scandinavian side with a famous 1-0 win in Norway courtesy of Almir Gredic’s 49th-minute strike to put themselves in the driving seat for next week’s return at the Grbavica Stadium in Sarajevo.

Newcastle will complete their preparations with another friendly against first division opposition at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday and then at home to Spanish aristocrats Barcelona next Wednesday evening.

Last night’s 3-1 defeat at the City Ground, in which £8.5m (€13.5m) signing Hugo Viana scored his third pre-season goal, was United’s first after four comfortable victories over semi-professional sides in Holland.

Robson was not unduly concerned by either the scoreline or the performance, and will look to his players to step things up over the next few days as they tune up for the qualifier and the start of the new Premiership campaign, which gets underway for them on Monday, August 19 when West Ham head for St James’.