Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed that midfielder Cheick Doucoure snapped his Achilles tendon in defeat at Luton Town last weekend.
Doucoure went down innocuously in the second half under no challenge at Kenilworth Road, before eventually being stretchered off screaming in pain.
The 23-year-old was then seen leaving the stadium with his foot in a protective boot and on crutches, with Hodgson confirming post-match that it was "very serious".
However, the Evening Standard claims that Doucoure could return from the injury before the end of the season, after undergoing surgery this week.
Palace fear they could be without last season's Player of the Year for up to six months, but Hodgson tried to be positive in his pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of their clash with West Ham United.
"It could take as long as the end of the season, but of course one remains optimistic. He's young and a quick healer, so I don't think it necessarily has to be that amount of time." Hodgson stated.
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The Palace boss did say how much of a setback it is for the side though, losing a player who was so influential last season, leading to rumours of interest from Liverpool over a £70m move during the summer.
Hodgson admitted: "We know it's a long-term injury and we'll miss him. It's a massive blow, something we're going to have to come to terms with and find a way around."
Later on in the press conference, Hodgson also touched on the latest update regarding Eberechi Eze's injury, after he was also forced off at Luton.
Reports earlier in the week suggested Eze could miss most of December, when Palace's schedule, along with all other sides in the Premier League, becomes busier.
"We should know more after [Eze] has seen the surgeon again today. He saw the surgeon at the start of the week and had his ankle put in a boot because it's a ligament problem.
"He's going to see him again today. It's a high ankle ligament which apparently is not quite as serious as it could be when you get a bad ligament injury lower down, but it's still a considerable injury. We're waiting on the advice from the surgeon again today to find out how long it will take before he gets back."
Eze will definitely miss this weekend's trip to the London Stadium, as well as the clash with Bournemouth in midweek, and the Palace faithful will now wait with baited breath to see if he will play again before 2023 is out.
Andrew Delaney
