Not a good news: Palace top man is likely to be unavailable for today’s match.
manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed that the defender is expected to make his return shortly.
HIGHLIGHTS
..Roy Hodgson, the manager of Crystal Palace, has confirmed that Mark Guehi is not expected to be available for Saturday’s match against Aston Villa, due to an injury to his hip.
..Guehi’s injury does not appear to be a serious issue and is anticipated to be managed with ease, suggesting that he may be able to return for the upcoming match against Fulham.
..In the absence of Guehi, Chris Richards (centre) and Rob Holding (left back) could make their debuts today.
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson gave an update on the fitness of Mark Guehi ahead of today’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.
Is Marc Guehi injured?
Guehi was stretchered off in the second half of England’s 3-1 win over Scotland, having been allowed to join the Three Lions despite carrying a hip injury for several weeks before the international break.
According to The Evening Standard, the centre-back had started every top-flight game since Hodgson returned to Selhurst Park last March, but now there is uncertainty over whether he will be in the team to take on Aston Villa today.The defender was due to be checked by Palace’s medical staff on Thursday and, with those tests now likely to have been completed, the manager has given an update on his fitness for the game. Speaking to the media, Hodgson said it is unlikely that the England international will play against Villa today, but he does not think it is a serious injury that will keep him out for a long time. He added: “He’s probably going to miss the game, but it’s a problem we think can be sorted out, or at least he’s not overly concerned, but unfortunately the game has come early.“If we had ten days or even five days of training, we might be able to get him fit, but unfortunately we haven’t had that much time.”
It’s a relatively minor injury. It’s only that the impact injury has made it flare up a bit, which is why he can’t play this game. It’s not because he’s trained and played two times with England. It’s because he jarred the hip against Scotland and that’s made it worse, which is a minor issue that he plays with on a weekly basis. Hodgson also confirmed that James Tomkins has a minor injury and won’t be in this afternoon, with Chris Richards or Rob Holding expected to step into the breach.
When will Marc Guehi return from injury?
All the indications are that the injury isn’t serious and could be back in time for the Eagles’ clash with Fulham next week. But if he does miss this afternoon, it could be a big blow for Guehi, who has been praised by the media as “incredible” for his performance in a Palace jersey. The Argentine rarely misses a game, having featured in 37 of last season’s 38 Premier League games. It will be fascinating to see how manager Hodgson changes his team today, but Guehi’s absence could provide an opportunity for other players to show their quality. The 23-year old joined Palace from Arsenal in early September on a 3-year contract and has yet to make a single appearance for the club. He will be hoping to make an impact in what promises to be a difficult challenge at Villa Park.
