Crystal Palace signing Nathan Ferguson to step up recovery during break, says Roy Hodgson

Dan Weir / PPAUK for CPFC
Jack Rosser @JackRosser_6 November 2020

Nathan Ferguson is hoping to step up his recovery from a long-term knee injury during the international break, Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has revealed.

The young right-back, who saw a January move to Palace collapse last season due to this same injury and has not played since featuring for West Brom on January 28.

Ferguson is yet to train with his Palace teammates following his free transfer arrival over the summer and continues to work alone with Palace's medical staff. Hodgson also revealed that the 20-year-old had tried to progress his workload earlier this season but suffered a worrying set-back in his recovery.

Asked when fans can expect to see Ferguson in a Palace shirt, even at Under-23 level, Hodgson said: "I can't give you a clear answer to that. Yes, he seems to be making progress. There's no doubt about that. He's in training every day and is working with one of the rehabilitation guys. They're pleased with his progress, but of course it's all going to boil down to when we can push it on to involving him in situations where he's going to have to a) twist and turn more, and b) accept there are challenges around to deal with.

"The running he's doing at the moment is very controlled so we are making certain we don't put pressure on the outside of the knee where, if it went wrong, it could possibly blow up and set him back in some way.

"I think the latest prognosis, at least from Nathan with whom I talk regularly, is during this international break he'll be pushing on faster and harder. Maybe, after the international break, here's hoping he'll be released a bit more into that competitive situation where the knee will get its full test.

"Unfortunately, this happened before. He was making progress. We tried to push it on in a controlled competitive manner, but he got some pain again so he had to back off, as it were. But the answer to the question as to when we can expect to see him, no one can say at this moment in time. Everyone at the club is very anxious that we don't now spoil a lot of this good rehabilitation work that's been going on by thrusting him back into a situation too early that the knee can't handle."

Palace have added Nathaniel Clyne on a short-term deal until the end of January in order to cover for Ferguson's absence, and the former Liverpool and Southampton full-back will start a third consecutive game against Leeds United on Saturday with Joel Ward still injured.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace - Premier League
Cover | Nathaniel Clyne returned to Crystal Palace on a short-term deal as cover at right-back
Getty Images

Clyne's arrival means that, after the scare of Ferguson's last set-back, coaches can take their time with his reintroduction.

"We setup a couple of exercises which would be very similar to the type of work he would have to do in his position were he in training every day," Hodgson said of their earlier efforts to step up the youngster's recovery. "That's when unfortunately he felt the knee again and it was then decided that there is no point in pushing this let's take it easy and let's take it slower and make certain that when he comes back he is able to stay there and it won't be a case of in and then out for a while and back in again."

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