Olise now out for a minimum of two more months with his injury. Which is a shame
The wailing from Palace fans at this has been quite spectacular. We were literally talking at half time in the game about whether it would be worth Hodgson bringing him on for a game that could easily have been written off at that point. He brings him on the surprise of most of us, and then we all know how it ended. And Palace fans are using it as yet another stick to beat Hodgson with.
My point is this. Michael Olise is a professional athlete. He suffered a hamstring tear so severe back in May that he required surgery and didn't play again for six months. He's been managed carefully since then, and in fact came off in their previous game with- oh!- a tight hamstring.
The Palace medical staff have then assessed him based, at least partially, you'd think, on what Olise is telling them he's feeling. If he tells them it's still sore, or tight, then they tell Hodgson he's not fit. But presumably he's said to them that he feels fine. Perhaps he's desperate to play. Perhaps he genuinely did feel fine and this is just a freak incident caused by the fact his hamstrings are made of unicorn hair and angel tears.
Or maybe he, as a professional footballer with a history of hamstring injuries, should have said to the medical team and to Roy Hodgson when asked if he felt fit enough to play, "sorry gaffer, I'm just not confident in it right now". Take some responsibility, you know? We were all surprised Roy risked him (at least we were where I sit) but there must be SOME onus on the player here, surely? It's not like Hodgson is thinking "f*** it, let's see if we can put our best player out until April now", is it?
They'll never disclose but his is muscular too, rather than an impact injury so it won't be next week. Guehi out too, presumably for a few games. Their only three good players.
The next few weeks or so will tell, so from me it’s a big KEEP ROY and continue this winless run
But realistically at 3-0 down why would you risk him? Hodson really isn't that good, we all remember Euro 2016, possibly the greatest ever humiliation of an England team
Lamptey as well?
That and the fact they were at Chelsea together for seven years!
If he's been told he's fit to play a half then maybe it's a case of trying to get some minutes under his belt ready for the next game. Maybe Roy didn't think it was about playing him to try and save the game.
Their fans are going to barely see him ever again in a Palace shirt, he'll have plenty of suitors in the summer.
I suspect his agent would have insisted on a release clause.
