Newcastle’s marquee man Emile Heskey concedes he’s still at least three weeks away from playing his first full A-League match of the season.
The former England international missed the Jets’ opening four fixtures after injuring his knee in a trial game, but returned for 25 minutes in the second half of Saturday’s 2-1 breakthrough victory over Adelaide United.
Heskey said he felt fine during his brief stint but admitted he still had a fair way to go before being fully fit.
“I’m getting there,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“I’m still a few weeks – probably three weeks – away (from playing a full game) but I’m getting the minutes in.
“It’s not that I’m not ready, it’s about getting the minutes in and … knowing that the knee can sustain a full 90 minutes or whatever minutes that I need to put in.
“We’ll have to take it day by day and see how I feel.”
Heskey took comfort from knowing his knee withstood a crude “last ditch” challenge by Reds defender Nigel Boogard, who was red-carded for the offence just minutes before fulltime.
“He had to make a challenge or he had to stay off and let me turn – and he kind of did neither.
“But I knew it was coming. You brace yourself for things like that – and at least I know my knee can withhold something like that.”
The 35-year-old praised his teammates for the fight they showed in posting their maiden win of the 2013/2014 campaign, and hoped the victory would provide a shot in the arm ahead of Sunday’s clash with the high-flying Brisbane Roar at Hunter Stadium.
“The boys have been brilliant, their work rate has been outstanding, we’ve managed to create quite a few chances and score to,” Heskey added.
“For me, (Brisbane) are probably the best team in the A-League as in football wise.
“You put yourself up against the best and hopefully that can bring out the best in us.”
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