Freedman to make late call on Palace's virus victims (From News Shopper)

Freedman to make late call on Palace's virus victims

4:16pm Monday 9th January 2012 in Crystal Palace By Graham Moody

Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman will make a late call on his virus-hit players ahead of tomorrow night's Carling Cup semi-final first leg with Cardiff City.

His Eagles squad has been decimated this month with a mystery virus that has plagued Julian Speroni, Paddy McCarthy, Anthony Gardner, Nathaniel Clyne, Mile Jedinak and Sean Scannell.

Speroni is expected to be OK for tomorrow but the other five trained away from the rest of the squad today and will only be considered if they are 100 per cent.

Freedman is prepared to give them as much time as possible to prove their fitness and will not decide on his starting 11 until 5pm, less than three hours before kick off.

"Hopefully, it's not going to get any worse, we've just got to get on with it," he said.

"Things can always be worse and that's the challenge, we could be losing heading into the second leg with these problems.

"The players have been coming in throughout the day and have trained in different units.

"I will not know my team until 5pm tomorrow. At the moment I am just dreading a phone call in the morning from the doctor.

"I will take no risks with any player who is not 100 per cent fit. I have no worries with playing young players and never have done.

"What worries me more is putting out players who aren't fully fit."