The latest Crystal Palace injury news as the Eagles prepare for a London derby against rivals Chelsea.
Roy Hodgson will be hopeful he can help turn fortunes around at Crystal Palace when they host London rivals Chelsea at Selhurst Park. The Eagles have struggled at times this season, with just five points separating them and the bottom three.
With some of the promoted teams struggling, while financial breaches have made points deductions a real possibility, Palace should have an advantage in keeping clear of the relegation conversation. However there’s still challenges to face.
A growing list of injuries has hit the squad at a difficult time, with questions coming from the stands over the direction and ambition of the club. With a home game against Chelsea, it could be the perfect time to display where they want to go.
The Blues have been facing their own struggles, sitting in the bottom half themselves, but they have more than enough quality to beat anyone in the league. With that said, here’s a look at the injury issues that Crystal Palace are facing before the London derby.
Crystal Palace injury list
Crystal Palace are facing a tough spell when it comes to injuries, with as many as seven doubts for the clash with Chelsea. Cheick Doucoure and Rob Holding are long-term absentees after suffering big knocks.
Key stars Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi also face some time on the sidelines, which only compounds the issues. Joel Ward could be back in contention, but youngster Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is a fresh concern.
Michael Olise injury latest
Michael Olise has been a standout performer for Crystal Palace, so news of a serious hamstring injury has come as a huge blow. The winger had been brought on against Brighton at 4-1 down, despite being a slight concern from the previous match.
He only lasted ten minutes as a serious injury forced a change, with the issue now set to be felt for the months ahead. “With hindsight, it’s a bad situation that has occurred, and it has damaged us for the weeks to come because it will take time for this injury to repair itself,” Hodgson told the press.
Expected return date: Unknown.
Marc Guehi injury latest
Since his arrival from Chelsea, Marc Guehi has continued to impress for Crystal Palace and has been a key figure in the backline. His recent knee injury has come as a huge concern, but fortunately it seems to be relatively short-term compared to some of the others.
Hodgson told the official club website: “Marc Guéhi has jarred his knee. Guéhi is just a question of time until that jarring passes and he gets full flexibility in his knee, so it doesn’t necessarily need to be a particularly long injury.”
Expected return date: Burnley (H) – February 24.
Eberechi Eze injury latest
Hamstring issues have plagued the squad lately and playmaker Eberechi Eze is one of the latest to suffer from it. It remains to be seen just how long until the winger can return to action, though there will be hopes that it can be as soon as possible.
Expected return date: Burnley (H) – February 24.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi injury latest
Academy prospect Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has suffered a recent setback following his own return from injury to be involved in the first-team. The 21-year-old suffered a hamstring strain while trying to regain fitness with the under-21s.
Hodgson said on the injury: “Unfortunately the issue is with hamstrings. We suffered another one with Jes Rak-Sakyi. He has also managed to pick up another hamstring strain after doing so well to get back.
“[He spent] two weeks with us in training but the first time he went out to play a game with the Under-21s, he pulled up after 15 minutes, so we’ve lost another important player there.”
Expected return date: Unknown.
Joel Ward injury latest
It may not be all bad news on the injury front as experienced defender Joel Ward may be nearing a return to action. Hodgson claimed Ward was going through his clearance in early February after training with the sports science team as part of his recovery from a thigh issue.
Expected return date: Chelsea (H) – February 12.
Rob Holding injury latest
Summer signing Rob Holding has struggled to work his way into the team so far this season, and may fail to do so as he is set for a spell on the sidelines. The former Arsenal defender required surgery on a foot injury that may see him recover just before the end of the campaign.
Expected return date: Unknown.
Cheick Doucoure injury latest
A key miss in the midfield engine room, Cheick Doucoure could be set to miss the rest of the season as he sustained damage to his Achilles tendon in November. There will be some hope of a return, but it remains to be seen how his recovery progresses.
