ROY HODGSON’S pre-match press conference has been cancelled after the 76-year-old was taken ill during training this morning.
The Crystal Palace boss had been due to face the media at 1:30pm.
At 12:55pm members of the press were informed that Hodgson would not be attending his usual press conference after falling ill earlier today.
Palace then confirmed on social media: “Unfortunately, today’s press conference will no longer take place as scheduled as Roy Hodgson was taken ill during this morning’s training session.”
Hodgson’s long-term assistant Ray Lewington left Palace’s training ground at 1:30pm.
Asked about his boss’ condition, Lewington, 67, said: “Roy’s okay.”
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The Eagles are due to face Everton at Goodison Park on Monday night.
Hodgson missed September’s trip to Aston Villa through illness.
Former Palace defender Paddy McCarthy took the team on that day, assisted by Lewington.
Palace players are set to be off tomorrow.
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Hodgson has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks.
Palace have endured a run of just two wins their last 15 games in all competitions.
Hodgson’s side squandered a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 at home to Chelsea on Monday night.
The Eagles have been struck by injuries to key men, with Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi all missing the match against the Blues.
Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman is claimed to have made contact with former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner over replacing Hodgson at Selhurst Park.
Glasner, 49, has been out of work since leaving Eintracht at the end of last season.
Palace have also shown an interest in Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna.
But the Northern Irishman, 37, is believed to be unwilling to leave Ipswich as they battle for their second consecutive promotion.
Hodgson was recently criticised by fans for his handling of Olise’s hamstring injury.
With the winger, 22, having only been deemed fit enough for the bench, Hodgson brought him on with his side trailing Brighton 3-0 at half-time.
Olise limped off just 11 minutes later and is now set to be missing for two months.
Defending his decision making during the 4-1 defeat, Hodgson said last week: “It boils down more to the fact that when there was a chance that he could be available, basically everyone got together and decided perhaps he can be available.
“But we need to start him on the bench, maybe only bring him on in the second half, that’s where we all were.
“Then I suppose we strode blindly ahead, but it’s not easy when you’ve got a player like Olise on the bench to turn around and say ‘by the way you just sit there and watch the game because we don’t need you’.
“That’s not quite so easy, and there was no indication from us that he was happy to do that, but of course Michael’s a quiet guy so that’s the other unfortunate part of this whole equation.
“Another player might have come and said ‘I don’t think it’s worth it, I don’t think I need to go on, I’d rather have a bit more time’ – but we can’t expect that of him.
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“That’s not fair to expect that of him, he’s just going along with what he thinks the whole of the club thinks so it was the perfect storm in every respect.”
Palace are 15th in the Premier League table, five points above the relegation zone.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
