Crystal Palace captain Dean Henderson is expected to miss the club’s next fixtures after suffering an ankle injury. The goalkeeper was absent for Saturday’s 3-2 defeat by Ipswich Town and is not expected to return until after the upcoming international break.
Henderson’s absence is likely to rule him out of England’s squad for three UEFA Nations League group-stage matches later this month. For Palace, he will miss Thursday’s opening Europa League game against Lech Poznan and Sunday’s Premier League visit to Leeds United on September 20.
Manager Pierre Sage said Henderson had been coping with the problem for around a month after sustaining the injury during pre-season against Freiburg. Although the 29-year-old had continued to play, Sage said the pain had become too severe and that Palace did not want to risk worsening the issue.
Walter Benitez will take over in goal during Henderson’s absence. Sage is targeting a return for the captain when Palace face Nottingham Forest on October 11.
Sage also explained why centre-back Jaydee Canvot was left out against Ipswich. The 20-year-old has found the opening four Premier League matches difficult, with Palace conceding 11 goals, and the manager said his omission was a sporting decision based on his performances and training. Sage added that he expects a stronger response from Canvot and said he would continue demanding maximum effort from his players.
