Cheick Doucoure confident of playing for Crystal Palace again this season | OneFootball

Big blow: Doucoure was stretchered off at Luton

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Cheick Doucoure believes he will return from injury in time to play again for Crystal Palace this season.

The 23-year-old Mali international left Kenilworth Road on crutches after being stretchered off in the 54th minute of Palace’s 2-1 defeat at Luton Town on Saturday.

Standard Sport understands Doucoure underwent surgery on his achilles tendon injury on Monday, with Palace fearful the midfielder will be side-lined for six months and miss the rest of the campaign.

However, Doucoure is confident he can return to the pitch towards the end of the season. He is currently in his first week of rehab following the injury.

Manager Roy Hodgson said on Saturday following the Luton defeat: “He’s got a bad injury. It’s not going to be an injury that keeps him out for a short period of time.”

Meanwhile, Palace hope goalkeeper Dean Henderson will return from his thigh injury in time to play before the new year.

Henderson was substituted with a serious thigh injury on his Palace debut in September’s 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester United — the club he left after 12 years to join Palace for £20million this summer.

The 26-year-old one-time England international had hoped to go toe-to-toe with Sam Johnstone for the No1 shirt at Palace before sustaining the injury.