Chelsea transfer target suffers major injury blow ahead of latest audition with five players out

Crystal Palace have confirmed that Michael Olise and two other key Crystal Palace players will not be lining up to face Chelsea on Monday.

Olise had been suffering from a hamstring issue in the build-up to Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion but was deemed fit enough for the bench last weekend. Despite being 3-0 down, the winger was brought on at half-time but only lasted 11 minutes before having to be withdrawn.

Early indications suggest the 22-year-old, who has six goals and three assists in 11 Premier League outings, could be out for eight weeks after missing the first three months of the season with a previous hamstring issue. Key defender and former Chelsea man Marc Guehi also had to be withdrawn from the match after sustaining a knock to the knee.

He is not expected to be out for as long as Olise but will sit out the clash with Chelsea, as will Eberechi Eze. The 25-year-old could be out for up to three weeks due to a hamstring problem with Hodgson describing the absence of all three Palace players as “incredible back luck”.

Speaking ahead of the visit of Chelsea, the 76-year-old said: “We have lost all three of them, there is no question that it is a massive blow. To lose those two and Marc Guehi in the same period of time.

«And add to that [Cheick] Doucoure that we’ve had to come to terms with, that is four of the players most important to the club and the team last season we don’t have anymore.

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“Guehi is just a question of time until that jarring passes and he gets full flexibility in his knee, so it doesn’t necessarily need