On-loan Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek could miss the rest of the season and the upcoming World Cup because of an ankle injury.
Loftus-Cheek has impressed after joining Crystal Palace for the season, with the 21-year-old making his England debut in November.
However, the Blues youngster has not featured for Palace since December 28 after suffering what was initially thought to be a minor ankle problem.
There is a possibility that the issue could now require surgery, which would sideline him for several months – potentially for the remainder of the campaign.
“The injury is more severe than we originally thought, or perhaps hoped, it would be,” Palace boss Roy Hodgson said.
“I would be very disappointed, surgery or no surgery, if he’s not playing before the end of the season.
“We certainly want him to be and I would presume Chelsea would want him to be because they might like to have a player who’s going to be selected for England in their squad but there’s literally nothing we can do about it.
“The only way he can make himself available for Crystal Palace or England is to be fit and at the moment that isn’t the case.”
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