'He's a key loss': David Healy provides injury update on Linfield star after missing Dungannon Swifts win

Fitzpatrick has been an ever-present in Healy’s side since arriving from Glenavon in 2023 and rarely misses matches – he’s been absent for just seven of 114 league games across the past three seasons and had featured in all five this term prior to their Swifts trip.

The 32-year-old, who has scored 39 Premiership goals in that period, sat out this weekend as the Blues secured a fifth consecutive victory with Kyle McClean firing home a decisive winner eight minutes from time.

It continued Healy’s – and Linfield’s – remarkable record against the Swifts at Stangmore Park – the Northern Ireland legend has never lost at the Co Tyrone venue while the club last suffered defeat in 2013.

Fitzpatrick’s absence was the biggest talking point while Healy also provided updates on Darragh Leahy, Jamie Mulgrew and Ryan Nolan.

"Anybody who watched the game last week, Fitzy soldiered on towards the end of the game, he took a sore one on his foot and ankle,” Healy told the club’s media channel. “We gave him the majority of the week to see how it was, he did try it but failed to get to where he wants.

"Anybody who knows Matthew knows he hates missing games, he doesn't like scans or being in the treatment room, as the majority of them don't.

"He's a key loss because of the way you want to play. We'll assess in the next 48 hours before we play Portadown and see how he is.

"Fitzy doesn't miss games for the sake of it, he's a huge player here and he will continue to be that.

"Darragh has a serious injury and he won't be back anytime soon, Jamie Mulgrew is making progress – how long that’s going to take we don’t really know.

"Ryan Nolan is back in and around pretty soon, Fitzy. We’re not the Secret Service, we do like to keep things in house and things in check, keep David Jeffrey and his staff guessing (for Tuesday).

"I know speaking to Rodney he was surprised when Matthew Fitzpatrick wasn’t playing. I didn’t want to come out on Tuesday and prepare a manager and team for the unknown.”

Since suffering an opening day defeat to Ballymena United, Linfield have won five consecutive matches and now kept four straight clean sheets.

They sit just one point behind leaders Coleraine, who they’ll face on September 25, and Healy was left delighted with his side’s latest victory.

"We caused a few of our own problems in the first half, we had to adjust the shape a little bit,” added Healy. “We were missing Fitzy, we added Kitt (Nelson) in, we had Kitt in the attacking role, Kyle in the attacking role, but we lacked a bit of quality in the first half.

"If you find yourself going behind against Dungannon you can be in trouble because they keep the ball well, move it well.

"We regrouped a little bit in the second half, started getting on top of the game from about 60 minutes onwards without dominating the game.

"We had one or two moments where we should have scored before Kyle got the goal, but all in all, I'm delighted with the win.

"Our record down here is phenomenal...we have won so many games by the odd goal at important stages and Kyle stepped up when we needed it.

"You wouldn't want anyone other than Kyle stepping in off the left on his right foot, he's technically gifted and he found the top corner."