Dunne and busted: Villa and FAI at odds over Richard’s injury

Richard Dunne is crocked for the next two months. His club are blaming the FAI and how they treated him. The lads in Abbotstown disagree.

The fact that Richard Dunne is sidelined for the next six to eight weeks is bad enough. It definitely rules him out of the opening World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan on September 7 and while the big central defender should be back in action in time for the visit of Germany to Dublin on October 12, he may be a little rusty.

However, the groin injury that will keep the Dubliner out of action is causing a rift between his club, Aston Villa, and the FAI. In a statement yesterday, Villa said: "Richard Dunne will also be out of action for six to eight weeks, having undergone a procedure on a groin injury which he sustained and was not dealt with during the European Championship.’’ Ouch.

The FAI were none too happy with being accused of shoddy medical care so they hit back with this: "Richard Dunne received the highest level of medical care during his time with the Republic of Ireland team.

"All of the medical treatment he received was carried out in full and regular contact and with the full consent and agreement of the Aston Villa medical team and so we are very surprised by these suggestions."

Very surprised, eh? Whatever went on, we probably couldn’t pick a worse club to fall out with than Villa, as their squad is stacked with existing, and potentially new, Irish internationals. With a new boss at the helm, Paul Lambert, we hope that this can be resolved and that Dunne can get back to full fitness before the Germans come to town.

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