Crystal Palace star Michael Olise has been sorely missed since picking up another injury, and fellow injured teammate Joel Ward has now praised him.
Olise has been outstanding when he has played this season, after missing both the start of the campaign and the recent games against Arsenal and Everton.
The 22-year-old has scored five times from the right wing in nine Premier League appearances, and this becomes even more impressive when you consider the lack of attacking support provided to him on the overlap by Ward or Nathaniel Clyne.
Joel Ward praises Michael Olise amid injury absence
Speaking to Premier League Productions, Ward highlighted Olise’s mentality and ability, and claimed he can provide a spark in this struggling side when he returns.
“Michael wants to get back [from injury], he wants to make that change [to results]. He will ignite the place. He sets it alight,” he stated.
“If we can get those two [Olise and Eberechi Eze] on the pitch, as well as the other lads that we have throughout the squad, we’ve got more than enough to frighten teams going forward.”
“Michael adds a different element to it too. He has that killer instinct, he has that arrogance – in the right way – to go about the game. For such a young talent, he’s got a very wise head on him.
“He’s very tactically astute, he wants to learn, he wants to develop and you can see that he’s got that desire to go and make things happen. When you need him to grab a game by the scruff of the neck, he does that, and he takes it upon himself to go and be the difference.”
Olise has been a huge miss for Crystal Palace
Palace have failed to score in their last three games without Olise, and it is often up to him to create goals by himself from the wing.
He has little support down the right-hand side, but the potential signing of right-back Daniel Munoz could hopefully change that.
Olise’s dribbling ability and eye for goal means he is always a threat, and he often has to lead Palace attacks by himself on the counter, as very few other players in the squad provide the speed and guile that he does.
Roy Hodgson will be desperate to welcome him back in the coming weeks, but rushing him back and risking another injury could be a disaster, and Palace need to find a solution to stop being too reliant on the Frenchman.
