Crystal Palace are set to be without defender Joel Ward for "several weeks", Roy Hodgson has confirmed.
The Palace full-back went off injured in the Eagles' 2-1 defeat at home against Premier League leaders Liverpool last weekend, after he made a tackle near the touchline during the second half.
Ward took a blow to his knee as he made the challenge, with Hodgson admitting after the game that he was worried about the extent of the injury.
"If it's going to be an injury that takes a period of time it's one we can ill afford because as everybody here knows that is an area of the squad where we don't have as much back up as we do in the midfield area," he said, speaking after the defeat against Liverpool.
And speaking today (Thursday), ahead of Palace's trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley this weekend, Hodgson confirmed that it is a "serious injury" for the former Portsmouth man.
"Joel Ward is the only injury we have. He will be out for some weeks but other than that we have recovered well," he said.
The injury blow means former Liverpool defender Martin Kelly is likely to deputise at right-back, with Palace having no other recognised senior right-back in the squad, following the sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United in the summer.
