Crystal Palace losing Eberechi Eze is a huge blow at Selhurst Park.
It’s no secret that Palace have a heavy reliance on Eze and Michael Olise to create chances for them. The two young midfielders have been exceptional since their moves to the Eagles, but Hodgson will now have to find a way to win games without them. Olise has been missing for a while, but BBC reported earlier this week that Eze would miss around six weeks of action due to a hamstring injury.
| 2022/2023 Premier League Season Stats and Rank Among Palace Squad | Eberechi Eze | Michael Olise |
|---|---|---|
| Starts | 30 | 31 |
| Goals | 10 (1st) | 2 (=6th) |
| Assists | 4 (2nd) | 11 (1st) |
| Progressive Carries | 69 (4th) | 111 (1st) |
| Key Passes | 57 (2nd) | 72 (1st) |
| Stats according to FBref | ||
Palace face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League before a two-week hiatus. The international break comes at a welcome time for the capital club who will be counting down the days for Eze and Olise to return to action. Hodgson has some difficult decisions to make regarding replacing Eze, and it certainly won’t be easy considering the contribution he’s made at the club.
The Mirror claims that Manchester City made a last-minute attempt to buy Eze during the summer transfer window, but Palace turned down a £60 million bid for the England international. The fact that Pep Guardiola and his recruitment team are interested in Eze tells you everything you need to know about his aptitude.
It may well prove to be something Roy Hodgson can work around – HLTCO
With Olise and Eze both unavailable, Hodgson now has to find a system that doesn’t rely on the creativity of their two attacking midfielders. There appears to be no like-for-like replacements in terms of a natural number 10, but the Palace boss could alter his system to try and work around the situation.
HLTCO has suggested that Odsonne Edouard could be fit enough to come back into the fold and play two up top, but it’s not something Hodgson likes to do too often, unless he absolutely has to. The presenter adds, however, that he’s a little bit lost as to exactly how his side is going to set up. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, HLTCO said…
“You’ve got the international break coming up after this weekend’s game against Nottingham Forest, which is a bit of a blessing in disguise. But you know, from a tactical point of view, we go into this game at home against Forest and I’m genuinely a little bit lost as to exactly how we’re going to set up. The suggestion is that Odsonne Edouard may well be fit to come back into the fold but Hodgson doesn’t necessarily like playing 4-4-2 unless he absolutely has to. But at the same time, we don’t really have a player that you would categorise as a number 10 anymore. So I mean, it may well prove to be something that Hodgson can work around, but at the same time I’m looking at and it is undeniably a huge blow for us [losing Eberechi Eze] in terms of our creative thrust in the upcoming games.”
Edouard, who makes £90k a week at Selhurst Park, has had a strong season so far, tallying four goals in six Premier League appearances, according to FBref. Hodgson will need Edouard for this team moving forward if he can find a way to create chances without Eze.
Will Hodgson play with an attacking midfielder without Eze?
Olise and Eze are, of course, the two main options for Palace in this position. Matheus Franca may have been brought in during the summer transfer window to be utilised in a similar role, but the young Brazilian is yet to feature for his new club due to injury.
Jordan Ayew has played in a central role at times in his career, but that begs the question, who then plays out wide? Jesuran Rak Sakyi is a natural winger, but the 20-year-old has little experience playing in the Premier League. The only logical option seems to be an altering in shape for Hodgson, it’s just a huge shame considering how well it’s worked for him since his return to Selhurst Park last season.
