Eberechi Eze is set to return to Crystal Palace training this week, despite the club’s medical staff fearing that the midfielder could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Eze suffered an ankle ligament problem during last weekend’s defeat by Luton and missed Sunday’s 1-1 draw at West Ham.
The England international saw a specialist earlier this week but speaking after his side halted their run of successive Premier League defeats, manager Roy Hodgson revealed that the player is determined to defy medical opinion.
“The update is a little bit up in the air because Eze is seemingly of the opinion that he’s going to get over this injury very quickly and be back before you can say, Jack Robinson,” Hodgson explained.
“Whereas the medical staff think he’s going to be out for a long period of time. I know what I want but I don’t know what I’m going to get. We shall see.
“I think he’s going to attempt to train with us over the next couple of days, which is great. That’s really positive.
"But I don’t know how optimistic I can be. The medical people are telling me that the injury is such that it will take a longer period of time to recover from.”