Lambert praises Nydam’s mentality after news of a further set-back for young midfielder

The injured Tristan Nydam is stretchered off the pitch by medical staff. Picture Pagepix (Image: Pagepix Ltd.07976 935738)

The midfielder broke his fibula and sustained ruptured ankle ligaments in a pre-season friendly against Notts County in July and was initially ruled out for a minimum of six months.

But he will now undergo a second surgery to remove some scar tissue around the ankle and won't return to training until the summer.

"It was an horrific injury he had at Notts County, it was right in front of me and it wasn't nice to see at all," he said.

"He's going back in for another operation and the most important thing is that he's able to walk and he's not massively over hurt with it. He won't be playing but hopefully we can see some shoots of recovery soon.

"He could go on to have a very successful career and hopefully that's what happens. Football's a dangerous game because the slightest injury can put you out and a real bad injuries happen. You need a lot of luck."

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Town physio Matt Byard added: "Tristan had surgery a couple of weeks back to clear up some scar tissue, which you get with the sort of injury he's had.

"As well as the break to the fibula, he ruptured ligaments in two places around the ankle.

Tristan Nydam featured in the second half of the pre-season game against Paderborn Picture: ROSS HALLS (Image: Archant)

"The recovery from the operation and rehabilitation programme will take him past the end of the season so we are looking at pre-season before we expect him to be ready to get out on the grass again and train with the first-team."

Nydam has featured just once underr Lambert, at Brentford in April, having made 20 appearances under Mick McCarthy's management during a breakthrough 2017/18 season.

He impressed in pre-season, though, spending time in midfield as well as at left-back before suffering his nasty injury at Notts County.