The Crystal Palace winger could be out for several weeks.
Crystal Palace were knocked out of the FA Cup at the third round stage as they lost 2-1 away to Brighton & Hove Albion last night, and there was further bad news for Roy Hodgson’s side as Andros Townsend and Jeffrey Schlupp suffered injuries.
As reported by The Croydon Advertiser, both players could be out for several weeks, while Townsend left the ground in a protective boot and Schlupp was on crutches.
While Schlupp’s absence shouldn’t affect Palace too much given that they can call upon Patrick Van Aanholt and Pape Souare, the loss of Townsend could prove problematic for Hodgson’s side in their quest to preserve their Premier League status.
Although Palace have improved significantly under Hodgson’s guidance, they are only two points clear of the relegation zone and there is still much work to do if they are to survive.
Townsend’s direct running provides Palace with an outlet and he has been productive of late – he has scored once and provided three assists in his last five Premier League appearances.
Perhaps Bakary Sako, who has produced some encouraging displays as a substitute of late, could now step up, but it will still be difficult for Palace to cope without Townsend, especially given that he had just started to get into form.
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