- Injuries are piling up at Crystal Palace and now star man Eberechi Eze is out
- The winger suffered ankle ligament damage during last weekend’s defeat to Luton
- Was Garnacho’s bicycle kick REALLY the best ever? Listen to the debate about It all starts
Crystal Palace fear Eberechi Eze will miss the crucial games against West Ham and Bournemouth with an ankle ligament injury.
Eze limped off during Saturday’s defeat to Luton and remains under examination by Palace medics.
But initial concerns are that Eze is at risk of missing around three to four weeks, although the timescale is being assessed on a day-to-day basis.
Nevertheless, Eze will miss important games against West Ham on Sunday and Bournemouth next Wednesday as he recovers from the injury.
The news comes as Palace are without key midfielder Cheick Doucoure for the rest of the season after he suffered a serious Achilles injury that will keep him out for up to six months following the defeat at Kenilworth Road.
Crystal Palace will have to make do without the services of Eberechi Eze for a number of weeks
Palace’s star man will miss games with West Ham and Bournemouth due to ligament damage
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The news of Doucoure’s extended absence comes as a huge disappointment for head coach Roy Hodgson, whose team are approaching an important series of games.
Palace are thirteenth, ten points clear of the relegation zone, but have won only one of their previous six games.
The games against the Hammers and Bournemouth are seen as key to Palace climbing the table, especially considering the opposition in five of their next six games after the visit of the Cherries includes Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Brighton .
While there is not thought to be any immediate pressure on Hodgson’s position, he will come under scrutiny if their current poor form does not improve in the coming weeks.
Palace will have to make do without Cheick Doucoure for the rest of the season
Doucoure – who will also miss Mali’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign – has built a promising reputation as one of the Premier League’s best emerging central midfielders since arriving from Lens last season.
He was the subject of a Liverpool investigation last summer, but his £70m asking price was a stumbling block to a potential move to Anfield.
Further top-level interest was expected to follow at the end of this season, but his injury is likely to mean he will remain at Selhurst Park for at least another season as he begins the long road to recovery.