Dunfermline: Deniz Mehmet makes comeback after ankle injury

The 31-year-old has been absent since a Viaplay Cup win at Albion Rovers in July. 

In the days leading up to the team's Championship opener with Airdrieonians he suffered a ligament tear in his right ankle after saving a shot in training, but thankfully didn't need to go under the knife. 

Mehmet recalled: "The ball hit the tip of my toe and then my right ankle just opened outwards. I felt pain of course, 100 per cent, but nothing like a pop or a crack or anything like that that would amount to getting an operation.

"It was just a tear in my ligament across the front of my ankle." 

Mehmet played a key role in Dunfermline's League One title success last season, setting club records for clean sheets, the fewest goals conceded and for the most shut-outs recorded in a single season.

He signed a new three-year deal with the club in May but he's had to watch his team-mates get to grips with the Championship challenge.

After making a return to the match day squad for Saturday's loss at Partick Thistle, where he was named on the bench, Mehmet played 90 minutes for the reserves in their win at Queen of the South on Tuesday.

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Deniz Mehmet has returned to fitness. (Image: Craig Brown.)

Speaking to Press Sport he said: "I was pleased with it.

"The main thing was to make sure I get through the 90 minutes and have no problem with my ankle or anything like that.

"I was pretty much expecting that because the training sessions that goalkeepers would normally have are more intense than a game day anyway. If I'm capable of doing a session, then I'm capable of playing in a game.

"There were a few little tests of the foot in the game, and it's fine, thankfully.

"It's good to be getting back out there and just having a game situation properly rather than what you would get in a training session."

As well as the physical injury, Mehmet had to deal with the mental side of being sidelined.

He said: "It was tough to take and it was hard when I spoke to our physio. He got the results back and said 'It's not for sure but it's looking likely that you're going to need an operation'.

"I went to see the surgeon on the Wednesday and had it in my head that he's going to say 'You're going to need an operation'.

"When he turned around and said there's no need for it, it was a big, positive flip on it, and I looked at the injury completely differently to be honest.

"It was probably a big help on the mental side of things. It almost felt as though I wasn't injured any more. Obviously, I still was, and it was only about five days after I did get injured, but it just felt like a completely different scenario.

"If I had an operation it would've been around the same time, about 8-12 weeks, so it doesn't really change much in terms of recovery. But it does make the world of difference because you're not needing to go under the knife.

"It was almost like, well, I'm not needing an operation, I'm already five days into my recovery now, so I'm almost a week down already.

"I could really kick on with my rehab and start doing things I need to be doing in the gym to get me back out on the training pitch and back out on a Saturday, hopefully, as quickly as possible.

"That was a massive, positive flip on it."

Mehmet is now in a position to challenge on loan Dundee keeper, Harry Sharp, and Max Little for the number one jersey, after a successful run out at Palmerston.

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Pars boss, James McPake, added: "Den's been excellent since he came back.

"The level of training goes up a notch when good players come back and he added to that. He got 90 minutes on Tuesday, so that's another box ticked for Deniz."

James McPake is delighted to welcome back Deniz Mehmet from injury. (Image: Craig Brown.)