We may not like to admit it but, regardless of the fact that he still a wonderful reader of the game, Richard Dunne hasn't been at his commanding best in a poor QPR team this season. Harry Redknapp was steadfast in his belief that Dunne could still do a job in the Premier League, however, the fact that QPR have leaked a league high 43 goals this season is down to a very shaky defence that Dunne has been a key part of.
With Dunne out of contract at the end of the year and QPR looking increasingly likely to go straight back down to the Championship, it was always likely that this could be Dunne's swan-song at the highest level. However, that may have come early than expected with the unfortunate news that Dunne will be out for up to three months after he suffered a medial cruciate ligament injury in his right knee against Southampton on Saturday. If it does take three months to recover, that would leave the Irish centre back very little time, if any, to get back into the QPR team before the end of the season.
While Dunne has come in for criticism in some quarters, he is nonetheless held in high regard by many, not least his teammate Joey Barton who has been quick to display the regard with which Dunne is held in the QPR dressing room.
Gutted for Dunney. He's been excellent this season. Big loss for us. Opportunity for somebody to stake their claim... #QPR
— Joey Barton (@Joey7Barton) February 8, 2015
When he was released by Aston Villa it looked unlikely that he would make it back to the Premier League and yet he did so we're certainly not writing Richard Dunne off just yet.
