Chelsea and Manchester United target out for two months after suffering hamstring injury - Reports
Chelsea and Manchester United target Michael Olise is set to be out for two months after his latest hamstring injury, as per The Standard.
This latest fitness concern comes as a huge blow to Olise, who has already missed 13 matches for Crystal Palace this season due to an earlier hamstring worry. The former France under-21 international came off the bench in his side's 4-1 loss against Brighton on Saturday (February 3) but lasted just 11 minutes.
When questioned about Olise's situation after the match, manager Roy Hodgson had said (via The Standard):
"I was told he couldn’t start the game and everyone was quite comfortable with that.
“They (the medical staff) told me and he told me he was fine to be on the bench and play in the second half. Unfortunately, because I don’t have a crystal ball, I have no hindsight; I wasn’t to know that was to lead to him getting a recurrence of his injury; that’s exactly what we did.”
Despite being forced to remain sidelined for a large part of the season, the winger has scored six goals and assisted three in 11 Premier League appearances. It is these contributions that have caught the eye of bigger clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea.
Meanwhile, the Eagles will be hoping for Olise's speedy return, as they could be tossed into a relegation fight. Currently, Crystal Palace are 14th in the standings, five points above the drop zone.
Mikael Silvestre unsure if Olise is considering Manchester United move, amid Chelsea interest
Mikael Silvestre believes Manchester United must certainly look to sign Michael Olise amid interest from Chelsea. The Red Devils' most natural right-sided option, Antony, has failed to register a goal contribution in 19 Premier League matches this campaign.
This has forced Erik ten Hag to deploy youngster Alejandro Garnacho on the right-hand side, with Marcus Rashford occupying the left flank. Speaking about Olise, Silvestre told Betting Expert (via Metro):
"He [Olise] has the potential to play for United. He should be on the United target list but I’m not sure he’s targeting a move to United."
"He would bring quality, speed and he’s a good all round player who’s direct. He likes to take on players."
Manchester United are out of the UEFA Champions League and are placed sixth in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, Chelsea are 11th and not in Europe, which could prompt Olise to wait for other offers in the summer.