Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen is facing 'another spell on the sidelines' after missing their Premier League fixture against Arsenal, injury expert Ben Dinnery has told GIVEMESPORT.
The 26-year-old has been crucial for Palace this season and his absence was noticed against Arsenal as they suffered a heavy defeat.
Crystal Palace news - Joachim Andersen
Andersen signed for Palace for a fee of £17m from French side Olympique Lyonnais.
The Danish defender missed Palace's latest fixture against Arsenal, where they lost 4-1 in Paddy McCarthy's first game in caretaker charge.
Neither central defender did particularly well in Andersen's absence. Marc Guehi received a Sofascore rating of 6.3, with James Tomkins scoring 6.4, for their roles in conceding four to the league leaders.
Andersen has averaged the highest score of any Palace player in the Premier League this season and was clearly a miss for the Eagles.
The former Lyon defender was set to start against the Gunners for Palace, but pulled out in the warm up, with McCarthy confirming it was another calf injury for Andersen.
What has Dinnery said about Andersen?
Dinnery has suggested that Andersen is facing another spell on the sidelines with it being another calf injury forcing him to miss the game at the Emirates.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "It's another calf problem, unfortunately for Andersen. It's an issue that he's been dogged with and hammered with in recent times. We're probably looking at another spell on the sidelines.
"He's not long back after his last calf problem and only returned in February after a month out, so that's worrying and a concern here. It's another setback within that short period of time. You just hope that we're not looking at something which is similar in terms of a timeframe."
How has Andersen performed this season?
Andersen is an aerially dominant defender who is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, helping Palace defend their own box whilst trying to also play out from the back.
The Palace defender has won more aerial duels than the rest of his teammates in the Premier League, whilst also completing 89.9% of his short passes, as per FBref.
Andersen averages 6.9 clearances, 4.5 total duels won, and 1.2 tackles per game.
There's no doubt Palace fans will be devastated if Andersen faces a lengthy spell on the treatment table, especially with a crucial run of fixtures coming up in their fight to stay in the Premier League.