Michael Dawson says he’s nearing a recovery ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Rotherham, but his injury layout has been “an ongoing joke with the lads” as his teammates are predicting that he won’t return in time to play again this season.
The Nottingham Forest defender has been out of action since mid-December with a hamstring injury and hasn’t played for more than four months. He won’t feature against Rotherham, but his positive injury update is good news nevertheless.
Dawson has made 13 appearances in all competitions for the Reds and had formed a formidable partnership alongside Tobias Figueiredo before injury separated the pair for the long-term. The centre-back’s last outing for Forest came against Ipswich Town on December 1, 2018. He’s missed 19 games due to his injury woes.
In the Championship, he’s made 56 clearances, won 30 aerial duels (60%), made 36 passes-per-game with 76% accuracy, has blocked seven shots and averages at least one tackle (4) or interception (5) every game. Dawson still has one more year remaining on his deal at the City Ground and could still have a part to play given his return draws near.
He recently gave an update about the situation, telling talkSPORT (h/t Nottinghamshire Live): “It’s been an ongoing joke with the lads to be honest, that I’ll just get back for the actual business end of the season, but we’ll have to see. I am getting close and I’m back on the grass now and kicking balls again.”
“It’s difficult when you go from training and playing games to not doing any of that and spending three hours a day in the gym. When you love football it’s the absolute worst thing in the world and by far the worst thing about being a professional player. I would say though, that the pros of being a footballer far outweigh the negatives, so it’s not all bad.”
Forest are currently ninth in the Championship with 57 points from 39 games this season.
