Soccer Football - Premier League - Sheffield United v Crystal Palace - Bramall Lane, Sheffield, Britain - August 18, 2019 Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson before the match Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Hodgson confirms Palace will be missing their best player vs Manchester United
Crystal Palace will be without top scorer Odsonne Edouard when Roy Hodgson’s side travel to Old Trafford for Saturday’s Premier League clash away at Manchester United.
At the risk of jinxing things, Manchester United’s injury-stricken backline might now find themselves facing a slightly easier task tomorrow afternoon.
Lisandro Martinez has been consigned to another lengthy spell on the sidelines after aggravating the injruy which curtailed his outstanding debut campaign, with Sergio Reguilon also joining fellow left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on the treatment table.
So news that Odsonne Edouard will be unavailable for the visitors – Crystal Palace’s stand-out performer during the first few weeks of the new campaign – should only improve Erik ten Hag’s hopes of picking up successive league wins for the first time in 2023/24, despite a veritable avalanche of fitness issues.
Manchester United host Crystal Palace again
“Unfortunately, this game has come just a little bit too soon (for Edouard),” Hodgson tells London News Online. “And we can’t take the risk of reactivating his slight muscle injury and make it worse.
“That’s the decision that had to be taken. It’s a tough decision to take when you need players. But I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if we threw him into this game not 100 per cent ready, then find he’s missing for several weeks because the muscle injury – which at the moment is possible for us to handle – suddenly becomes one of those injuries which puts people on the sidelines for up to a month.”
Palace without their top scorer
Edouard has four goals in just six Premier League games so far this term. He scored twice against Wolves and also opened the scoring away at Aston Villa.
Jean-Philippe Mateta – himself enjoying a promising start to the campaign – is likely to take Edouard’s place at Old Trafford. Mateta started in the midweek Carabao Cup clash between United and Palace, denied by a superb Andre Onana save in the second-half as Ten Hag’s side ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.
