Roy Hodgson confirms club captain Scott Dann and team-mate Jason Puncheon are out for the season with cruciate ligament injuries
Both players were forced off the field on a stretcher after rupturing their cruciate knee ligaments in the 0-0 draw against Manchester City
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CRYSTAL PALACE have suffered a double injury blow with both captain Scott Dann and Jason Puncheon ruled out for the season.
Both players were stretchered off the field in Palace's drama-filled 0-0 draw with Manchester City on New Year's Eve.
Puncheon ruptured his cruciate knee ligament following a wild lunge on Kevin De Bruyne in the dying embers of the match.
And its a similar story for team-mate Dann who also picked up the exact same lengthy injury with a challenge on the Belgian midfielder.
Boss Roy Hodgson could now be forced to delve into the January transfer market to ensure Palace's survival in the Premier League.
Speaking after the Eagles' impressive 2-1 win at Southampton, Hodgson said: "It's far too soon to say (about transfers), we didn’t know until today that Scott had injured a cruciate ligament but the Chairman and Directors are keen to improve our squad to ensure we have what we need.
"Hopefully our performances have shown that if we get that backing it'll make us even stronger in this run in.
"Dann and Puncheon are both cruciate ligament injuries," added Hodgson. "They'll both see a specialist and likely undergo surgery once the swelling goes.
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"We won't see them play again this season and may not be ready for the start of next. They're very serious injuries."
Hodgson has already lined up a defensive reinforcement in £13million-rated Ibrahim Amadou.
Palace have contacted Lille about the Cameroon-born star who could fill the boots of Dann and it is believed he would jump at the chance of moving to the Premier League.
Amadou was a Palace target in the summer window but the clubs could not agree over a fee and the Eagles eventually paid a bigger fee for Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool.