Crystal Palace faces a challenging encounter with Manchester United at Old Trafford this Saturday, without two of their significant players. As confirmed by manager Roy Hodgson, both goalkeeper Dean Henderson and forward Odsonne Edouard will be absent.
Henderson, a recent acquisition from M16 to Selhurst Park in the closing moments of the summer transfer window, suffered a suspected thigh injury during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup clash between the two teams. The injury occurred during Henderson’s debut game for Palace and led to his substitution by Sam Johnstone after only 19 minutes.
Hodgson, during his Friday press conference, disclosed the results of Henderson’s scan, revealing they were not favorable. “The initial scan wasn’t very positive,” Hodgson commented, expressing regret at the situation. The manager mentioned a follow-up scan scheduled in a week, with the hope that the results might reveal lesser damage than the initial scan suggested. The early prognosis, however, seems discouraging.
On the attacking front, the absence of Edouard, the French striker who is nursing a hamstring injury, will be keenly felt. Edouard, formerly of Celtic, has been in prolific form, netting five goals this season and had been a constant presence in every Premier League match until his injury. His absence represents a substantial loss for the team.
Discussing Edouard, Hodgson acknowledged that the striker had missed only one game, a Carabao Cup match, indicating that the upcoming league game would be his first absence in the Premier League. “I don’t have any fears about him building on his good start or doing what he’s been doing when he gets back into the team,” said Hodgson.
However, he conceded that playing Edouard now would be risky and could exacerbate his muscle injury, and this precautionary measure was crucial, albeit difficult.
“It’s a tough decision to take when you need players,” Hodgson stated, adding that rushing him back and risking a more severe injury would be imprudent and might lead to a lengthy absence which would be harder to manage.
Meanwhile, players Jefferson Lerma, Michael Olise, and Matheus Franca are still recuperating and remain unavailable for selection.
