Cheick Doucoure and Jefferson Lerma lead a long list of Crystal Palace players who have been declared fit for Saturday’s trip to Newcastle, but James Tomkins has picked up a fresh calf injury.
Matheus Franca, Naouirou Ahamada, Jairo Riedewald, Nathan Ferguson and captain Joel Ward have all returned from various injuries.
It means Tomkins is now one of just five first-team players Roy Hodgson cannot call on at St James’ Park, with Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Dean Henderson and Jeffrey Schlupp the only remaining absentees.
Speaking on Friday afternoon, Hodgson said: “It is better news, although we lost James Tomkins yesterday to a calf injury. He’s had a scan today and I hope it’s not a serious one, but that was a bit of a flow because until yesterday he was there as well.
“But we’re down now to Olise, Eze and Henderson who have been injured for a period of time, and Jeff Schlupp, who came off injured in our last game against [Nottingham] Forest. Although he’s getting quickly better, he’s not recovered for the game tomorrow.
“The only other one who hasn’t been in the first-team squad for a while now, the poor lad, is Nathan Ferguson. The good news with him is that he’s now playing some games for the Under-23 team and making progress. Even that is very positive news.”
Hodgson revealed Eze and Olise are “making good progress”, but admitted: “It’s hard to get ETAs [on their returns] because the doctor is very cautious about when they can be allowed back in because it’s the sort of injury that is difficult to really test. Getter closer, but I couldn’t really tell you when.”
Palace supporters are keen to see £26million summer signing Matheus Franca make his long-awaited debut in the coming weeks, following a lingering back injury. But Hodgson suggested he may not go straight into the first-team.
“We’re going to have to get him into either the first team or an Under-23 game", he said. "As far as our coaching staff, all we’ve seen are highlights of his time in Flamengo. His English has improved faster than I thought. He has been training well.
“But people shouldn’t forget he’s 19 years of age. It’s not going to be a question of in a week or two he becomes Lionel Messi. That’s not the way it works.”
