‘It depends’ – Palace boss Roy Hodgson provides Jefferson Lerma injury update

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has provided an injury update on Jefferson Lerma after the midfielder was left out of the Colombian national team for their upcoming fixtures.

Lerma, who joined on a free transfer from Bournemouth in the summer, has been missing for the last three Premier League outings after suffering with a hamstring injury over the September international break.

The 28-year-old has been sidelined in recent weeks alongside Mathues Franca, Naoirou Ahamada, Michael Olise and Odsonne Edouard.

“It depends when he’s allowed to train with the team,” said Hodgson when asked when he will be looking to add the former Levante player back to his squad.

“It’s like the [Matheus] Franca situation I mentioned. At the moment, they’re suggesting it won’t be until at least the second week of the international break.

“The question for me is whether we’re going to get him at the start of the week so we get the chance to do some work or are they going to spring it on me on Thursday that maybe he’s okay.

“That’s the tricky one. That I don’t know. With him and [Naouirou] Ahamada, both of those will be what transpires during the international break and how quickly we can get them back into a proper training environment.

“If we can do it early enough, I would say both will be available. I would say the same with Franca, if we can get him into that training environment early enough, we might be able to make him available too.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD