---
title: "James Tomkins leaves game on crutches"
canonical: "https://readcrystalpalace.com/2016/09/19/james-tomkins-leaves-game-crutches/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Michael Oliver"
section: "Crystal Palace News"
published: "2016-09-19T10:49:10Z"
modified: "2016-09-19T10:49:10Z"
---

# James Tomkins leaves game on crutches

A bright afternoon for Crystal Palace has had a dampener thrown on it after James Tomkins left Selhurst Park yesterday on crutches.

The former West Ham academy graduate joined Palace in the summer in a £10m deal to add some quality to the back four and he showed that quality yesterday on his full Premier League debut for the Eagles by scoring the opener in a 4-1 win over Stoke.

However, it wasn’t all positive for Palace and Tomkins yesterday as the defender suffered an apparent knee injury and was brought off at half-time and left the stadium on crutches after full time.

Alan Pardew commented on Tomkins’ status after the game and he hopes that his hyper-extended knee injury isn’t too bad.

![Ian Walton/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readcrystalpalace.com/readcrystalpalace/sites/17/2016/09/607519682.jpg)

“He \[Tomkins\] has a good first half but just over-stretched his knee a little bit when he made a tackle before half-time.” Pardew told reporters after the game, per the [London Evening Standard](https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/crystal-palace-injury-news-james-tomkins-leave-selhurst-park-on-crutches-after-being-substituted-a3347936.html).

“We’ll just have to see how it is. Hopefully it’s not too bad.”

Daniel Delaney replaced Tomkins at half-time and will deputise for Tomkins in defence for the time being. Delaney and Scott Dann are two established players who were Palace’s long-time centre-back pairing of late before Tomkins’ arrival so there shouldn’t be much of an adjustment period if any.