WELL we finally managed to get a game in last weekend but the result wasn't the one we were hoping for. It seemed like an eternity since our last game and I think we were a little bit rusty to be honest.

Fair play to all concerned for getting the game on. I saw everyone working on the pitch the day before and they did a great to get it playable.

I know we weren't 'at it' but there are two sides to every story and let's get it right, Brighton played some good stuff. Forster and Murray are a real handful up front and caused us a lot of problems. You could see that Gus Poyet had stamped his mark on the team by the way that they tried to play football.

I took a whack to my foot after about two minutes and, looking back, I should have come off. I was in real pain. I made the fatal mistake of taking my boot off at half-time and it was so swollen that I struggled to get it back on. It was agony. After the game it was strapped up but I couldn't walk on it. To be honest I thought it was broken but I had a scan on Monday and it's just badly bruised.

The injury means that, whilst the rest of the lads have been able to finally get back out on the training field, I've been stuck indoors. What makes thing worse is that I've been working one-on-one with Jon Whitney. Regular readers of my Blog will know that the man is a beast. It's bad enough in a group but with just you and him, and nowhere to hide, it's a nightmare! My arms feel like they're going to drop off.

I've been rowing and lifting weights all day! It'll be the same tomorrow and over the weekend because I want to be back for Norwich on Tuesday. I can't put much weight on my foot at the moment but I'm a quick healer and I am hopeful.

I'm off out for a bite to eat with a few of the lads who are based in Birmingham - Jamie (Vincent), Matt (Richards) and Sam (Parkin). We're going into Birmingham for a meal and a coffee and no doubt, after last night, everyone will be on about Villa's Carling Cup win last night. Fair play to them, it was a great game to watch. I went to Wembley with Everton twice last season. Once for the Semi-Final and once for the Final (of the FA Cup).

Norwich will be a tough game on Tuesday but we're the only side to stop them scoring when we drew 0-0 at Carrow Road earlier in the season - it was probably because I didn't play! Hopefully we can do the same on Tuesday and get back to winning ways.

We've had some good games under the floodlights at the Banks's Stadium this season. Here's to another on Tuesday.

Mark Hughes