Michael Olise is set to miss the next two months through injury.
The young French attacker has endured an up-and-down season so far. Missing the first three months of the campaign with a hamstring injury, Olise, 22, has been forced to watch Roy Hodgson’s struggling Eagles from the sidelines.
And although the 22-year-old finally returned to action at the end of last month, after pulling up after being on the pitch for just 11 minutes during last weekend’s 4-1 defeat against Brighton, Olise, according to a report from the Standard, will now miss the majority of what’s left of the campaign.
Major questions will be asked of Palace’s medical department and why their number seven was allowed to return to action so soon only to damage his hamstring further.
The Frenchman’s latest issue will serve as a major blow for Palace, who are facing the prospect of being dragged into a tense relegation battle.
There is also a huge cloud of doubt hanging over the head of Hodgson, who, according to recent reports, including this one from HITC, could be replaced by Steve Cooper before the end of the season.
As for Olise, although the winger has failed to string any kind of run of games together this campaign, he, along with Eberechi Eze, has been Palace’s best player. Despite his periods of absence, the London-born wide-man has still managed to score six goals and register three assists in just 11 Premier League games.