Roy Hodgson has provided an update on how Crystal Palace prodigy Nathan Ferguson’s injury rehabilitation is going.
The Eagles signed the 20-year-old on a free transfer in the summer after his contract with West Brom expired.
However, the England Under-20 international hasn’t made an appearance for his new club yet, and hasn’t played at all since facing Cardiff on January 28th due to a knee issue.
When asked about Ferguson, Hodgson told London News Online: ‘The latest prognosis from Nathan himself, who I talk to regularly, is he’s rather hoping that during this international break he’ll be pushing on faster and harder.
‘Everyone at the club is very anxious now that we don’t spoil any of this good rehabilitation work that has been going on by thrusting him into a situation too early that the knee can’t handle it.’
In light of this news, the south Londoners will be very happy that they decided to back out of a deal to sign the youngster in January.
Crystal Palace and West Brom had agreed a fee of £11 million with add-ons for the full-back in January, only for Ferguson to fail his medical.
Shortly after the closure of the January transfer window, football came to a standstill as a result of lockdown, so the Eagles wouldn’t have seen much of him regardless.
Managing to secure him for nothing just months later is excellent business – it would’ve been a huge waste of £11 million.
While Ferguson recovers, Hodgson has Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne to choose from, so there’s no rush for the former West Brom man to get himself match-fit once again.
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