- Crystal Palace without Cheick Doucoure for rest of season
- Malian won’t play under Oliver Glasner again
- Likely to be a starter in a new midfield next season
Oliver Glasner has confirmed Cheick Doucoure will not play again this season ahead of Crystal Palace’s clash with Bournemouth on Sunday. The Malian midfielder has been sidelined since early 2025, when he underwent knee surgery.
Doucoure sustained an Achilles injury in November 2023, which led to a lengthy spell on the sidelines. He returned for 14 games last season but went under the knife to repair a torn meniscus after a serious knee injury.
The 26-year-old has since returned to action for U21’s in Premier League 2, making three appearances as part of his rehabilitation. But hopes of him appearing in Glasner’s last month as manager are over.
Glasner Confirms Doucoure Misses Rest of Season
Doucoure’s absence has been a blow for Palace despite Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada forming a superb partnership. The pair are playing a crucial role in the Eagles’ UEFA Conference League campaign.
Glasner ruled Doucoure out for the rest of the season when speaking ahead of the Bournemouth game. He told reporters (via James Savundra):
“I hope that he can really recover and get back.. that’s what I’m really hoping for him.”
It means Doucoure has played his last game under Glasner, who leaves his role as manager in June. The Malian has appeared 61 times since arriving from RC Lens in July 2022 for £21m.
The 14-cap Mali international will not only have missed last season’s FA Cup triumph. But he’s also sat out this campaign’s Conference League campaign with the South Londoners closing in on a final in Leipzig.
Doucoure Like a New Signing
While Doucoure won’t be available for the rest of this season, he will almost feel like a new signing once he returns in the 2026-27 campaign. Kamada is headed for the exit door when his contract expires in June.
That doesn’t mean a new central midfielder shouldn’t be on the club’s agenda ahead of the summer transfer window. A report claims that Wharton is ‘in negotiations’ with Liverpool, and he’s been expected to depart Selhurst Park in a big-money move.
Doucoure could quite possibly be a starter in a new midfield under a new manager in a new era. The club are likely to trigger the one-year extension option in Jefferson Lerma’s contract but the Colombian has been used as a utility player, providing cover in midfield and defence.
