Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan insists Richard Dunne will recover from Saturday's Maine Road humiliation. For the second successive home game, the burly Dubliner was hauled off at half-time as Premiership pace-setters Arsenal ran riot. Replacing suspended Sylvain Distin on the left of City's back three, the23-year-old's lack of pace was badly exposed by Thierry Henry, leaving Dunne esponsible for the Gunners' first three goals in their 5-1 romp.
It was a bitter blow for a player whose entire career was under threat earlier in the campaign when he fell foul of Keegan after arriving late for training in a 'dishevelled' state. Having pushed himself through a series of extra training sessions and lost over a stone in weight, the former Everton man was restored to the Blues' first team and turned in a series of impressive displays.
However, the arrival of £3.5million David Sommeil from Bordeaux saw Dunne shunted into a wing-back role for the visit of West Brom. Dunne has acknowledged it is not a role to which he is suited and after another sub-standard display admitted he was 'glad to get off the pitch' after being hauled off during the 2-1 defeat.
With Distin set to return for Saturday's trip to Blackburn, Dunne seems certain to spend a lengthy period on the sidelines, although Keegan is confident the player will pull through his present crisis. "It was just one of those days," said the former England coach.
He continued: "I brought Richard off but it could easily have been one or two others. Richard has come a long way this year but has struggled in the last couple of home games. But he is still only 23 and he will be back. He has to take this setback on the chin and show the same sort of character he did to return from his previous problems."
Filed by Shane Murray
