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| Crystal Palace are ninth after Wilfried Zaha salvaged a 1-1 draw on Monday night against Brighton |
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson says he is trying to persuade the Premier League clubโs American owners to release funds so that he can strengthen his injury-hit squad in the January transfer window.
Palace are ninth following Monday nightโs 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion, a game in which Palaceโs Jairo Riedewald was taken off at half-time after aggravating a hip injury.
The London club were already missing several players, including left-backs Patrick van Aanholt and Jeffrey Schlupp, centre back Gary Cahill and winger Andros Townsend, due to injury, while centre back Mamadou Sakho is suspended.
โWe donโt really go into transfer market,โ Hodgson told reporters. โIโm trying to persuade the American owners in particular that this is something we really need to do.
โI thought we needed to do it in the summer but we didnโt succeed in getting the players we thought were necessary to improve our squad then. Nothing has changed, itโs still the same positions Iโm talking about and would like us to improve upon.โ
Hodgson said that Palace Chairman Steve Parish, who is part owner of the club alongside American duo David Blitzer and Joshua Harris, was โon boardโ with the need to strengthen.
โIโm just hoping between us and the American owners weโll find a way to release some money because I donโt think weโll find the quality we need with free transfers and loans,โ he added.
Palaceโs next match is a league trip to 11th-placed Newcastle United on Saturday.
REUTERS
