Crystal Palace have to 'scrape by' amid 'sad' squad situation

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·30 November 2023

Crystal Palace have to 'scrape by' amid 'sad' squad situation

Crystal Palace have endured a difficult season when it comes to keeping their best players fit, and journalist Dean Jones has now explained to GIVEMESPORT what Roy Hodgson will have to do to ensure his side don't slip down the table.

The Eagles have heavily relied on the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise to provide Hodgson with an attacking threat since they arrived at the club, but the Palace duo have spent a significant amount of time on the treatment table this season. A club competing in the bottom half of the Premier League is never likely to have world-class talent throughout their whole squad, so it's imperative that their key players stay fit.

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Palace are currently sitting in 13th place in the Premier League table but are at risk of slipping down a few places, with some of their key stars ruled out through injury once again.

Cheick Doucoure and Eberechi Eze injury updates

Doucoure and Eze have been two of Palace's key players this season and the latter has already spent some time watching from the sideline. Olise recently returned after failing to appear for Hodgson's side all season, but the capital club have been dealt a double blow by the medical department. As per The Athletic, Eze could be out for up to four weeks after suffering an ankle injury against Luton Town - the England international recently overcame a hamstring problem to return to action. Doucoure is also set for a spell out of the side after slipping awkwardly in the same game, enduring an Achilles problem which could rule him out for up to six months.

It's been a problem for Hodgson all season, and before Palace's fixture against Nottingham Forest back in October, the veteran manager, whilst speaking to the media, pulled out a piece of paper listing all the players who were injured at the time...

“It’s our injury list. There are so many at the moment that I forget. It’s (the list) just in case I had forgotten.”

Hodgson is known for his pragmatic style of play which has helped him throughout his career, and with some key players out injured, the Palace boss may have to strip it back to basics to try and grind out results.

Dean Jones verdict

Jones has suggested that it's sad that it's come to a situation where Hodgson will have to switch up the way he plays, taking it game by game and reinstating a more regimented style due to injuries. The journalist adds that it's now a really difficult test for Palace and they will have to scrape by until we get to the January transfer window. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said...

"Over the next month, Crystal Palace have got a really difficult set of tests. And with the squad in the shape that it's in right now, it's really going to be a case of taking each game phase by phase and managing periods of it, and probably go back to Roy Hodgson managing how he used to at various other clubs, where it's just regimented and strict and do not concede goals and nick one on the break. That's about all they've got in them at the moment and it's sad that it's come to this. But until we get to January and we've discovered the extent of their potential in terms of investment, they've really got to scrape by."

Palace are planning to sign a Doucoure replacement

Reports in Italy have suggested that Palace are following Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Ellyes Shkiri, with Serie A side AC Milan also keen. Losing Doucoure for potentially the remainder of the season is a huge blow, so it shouldn't be a surprise if the Eagles prioritise a replacement.

It's also understood that Palace are among the sides who are interested in signing Celtic's Matt O'Riley, with a bid of around £10m set to be enough for the selling club to consider a move. The midfielder is one of the Scottish side's key players, but the attraction of playing in the Premier League could help Palace's cause.