December 1st 2023.
Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea have been handed a boost as key Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze may miss their December fixtures.
The 22-year-old England international was forced off with an ankle injury during Palace’s 2-1 loss at Luton last weekend. Defensive midfielder Cheick Doucoure was also stretchered off during the game and left Kenilworth Road on crutches, leading to fears that both could be out for a long time. This is a devastating blow with many big games on the horizon.
Manager Roy Hodgson had initially expressed concern about the fitness of both players post-match, but he has now said that Eze’s injury may not be as bad as first thought. However, it seems likely that he’ll miss several upcoming games.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Hodgson said: “We should know more after he’s seen the surgeon again today. He saw the surgeon at the start of the week and had his ankle put in a boot because it’s a ligament problem. He’s going to see him again today. It’s a high ankle ligament which apparently is not quite as serious as it could be when you get a bad ligament injury lower down, but it’s still a considerable injury. We’re waiting on the advice from the surgeon again today to find out how long it will take before he gets back.”
Unfortunately, it is not just Eze who could miss the December fixtures. Cheick Doucoure has snapped his achilles tendon and Hodgson believes it could take as long as the end of the season for him to recover. He said: “It’s bad. He’s snapped his Achilles tendon, so it’s a question of how long that takes [to heal]. I would hope not and think not [surgery] from what I’m being told is the way the injury will potentially pan out, but it’s still a long-term injury and we’ll miss him.”
In addition, Rob Holding, who is yet to play in the Premier League since his summer deadline day move from Arsenal, has also been ruled out for the festive fixtures with an ankle injury.
These injuries come at a difficult time for Crystal Palace, with the team having just one win in their last six games. In December, Palace face West Ham, Bournemouth, Liverpool, City, arch-rivals Brighton, Chelsea and Brentford. With key players missing, the pressure is on for the Eagles to deliver results.
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