‘Tough blow,’ says Crystal Palace manager, explaining key midfielder’s absence from Nottingham Forest match Edmund Brack 8 October 2023
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Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has revealed why Cheick Doucoure was absent from Saturday’s goalless draw at home against Nottingham Forest.
Under the former England manager, the Mali international, 23, has played the full 90 minutes in every Premier League match this season.
Doucoure was one of several senior players injured for the Eagles, including Dean Henderson, Joel Ward, Jefferson Lerma, Michael Olise, Matheus Franca, and Eberechi Eze.
“I was taken aback yesterday because Doucoure trained,” Hodgson told the BBC.
“He’s been a little tired, in his words, since returning from international duty.”
“With Doucoure, Lerma, Olise and Marc Guehi, we have not been lucky with international duty – it’s cost us four players.
“Doucoure this whole week was training normally – there was no mention that he was fatigued or suffering from some sort of muscle soreness or awareness.
“For the training session to finish yesterday and for him to complete the session, only for him to be told only a few minutes after he finished the session that he wasn’t available, was a tough blow.
“It forced us to rethink and revamp.”
