Roy Hodgson admits Michael Olise concern as Crystal Palace 'hit hard' by trio of absences vs Liverpool

Roy Hodgson has cast doubt over Michael Olise's fitness as Crystal Palace prepare to host Liverpool.

The Reds can move top of the Premier League should the earn a victory at Selhurst Park. Palace are in a difficult moment after a 2-0 home loss to Bournemouth earlier this week and have won just one of their previous eight league matches.

It means that Hodgson has come under fire from sections of Eagles supporters. It doesn't get much easier for the ex-Liverpool manager as his former club travel to south London in fine form. To add to his difficulties, talisman Olise is being carefully managed having only recently returned from a long-term injury.

Palace will already be without key trio Cheick Doucoure, Eberechi Eze and Tyrick Mitchell, who limped off against Bournemouth.

Eagles boss Hodgson said: “He is injured, so he is another one that we have lost but that we’re ill-equipped to lose in this moment in time,” Hodgson said in his pre-match press conference. “With [Cheick] Doucouré and [Ebere] Eze still out of the team.

“You can add, of course, Rob Holding and Jes [Rak-Sakyi] to that. But our injury list isn’t enormously long, it’s just that three of the players we are missing are three regular players in the team Mitchell, Doucouré and Eze are three that always play, and in the sort of team we are and the squad we have, to lose three of our regulars hits us maybe a bit harder than some of the other teams in the league.

“It was a hip injury which came as a result of a contusion which has provoked a hip injury. This game was definitely too quick coming around for him to be considered, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be considered for the next game.

“The other one we have to think about, I might as well say it now, is that we have to be making a decision about Olise. After almost four months out and an enormous spike in his workload in the last two games, the sports science people are telling me to be very, very careful with him.

“Not that is difficult because he’s a very good player and you don’t want to be careful with your best players, but it’s something we have to take into consideration. But as yet, we haven’t made a decision. We’ll talk to the sports science people and Michael himself tomorrow and then we’ll have to make a decision on can he start the game or not.”