September 8 2004

Sandor Torghelle

Crystal Palace have lodged a complaint with FIFA over Hungary’s insistence that Sandor Torghelle report for international duty with an ankle injury, by Joseph O'Shea.

Palace's new £750,000 striker has only played once since his summer switch from MTK Budapest, after picking an ankle injury in an international friendly against Scotland.

The 22-year-old missed the defeats against Everton, Chelsea and Middlesbrough with ankle ligament damage, but Hungary manager Lothar Matthaus still insisted he report for two world cup qualifiers.

Dowie said: "Sandor didn’t play and I don’t know why he is there anyway. I am very unhappy. We sent a letter from our surgeon saying he was not fit and yet they have still taken him. That’s a lack of respect and it’s a point I have made forcefully to Lothar Matthaus."

"No one is keeping me in the loop and that is not what should happen. So we have made formal representations through FIFA about our displeasure, but that won’t help us when he’s over there and we have got a game Saturday."

Palace’s Ecuadorian striker Ivan Kaviedes was sent home from his country’s World Cup squad to face Uruguay in Montevideo after going missing.

Dowie said: "From what I can gather he went to get a visa for his girlfriend and he was given permission by the assistant manager. When he came back there was a big furore and he was suspended. But since then the assistant has been suspended as well so Ivan must have a point. I will take my player’s word until I hear different."

Dowie now faces an anxious wait until Thursday when Torghelle, Aki Riihilahti, Joonas Kolkka, Michael Hughes and new Uruguayan defender Gonzalo Sorondo return from international duty, before deciding on his squad for Saturday’s trip to Portsmouth.

Neil Shipperley and Darren Powell returned to action in the 3-0 win against an Arsenal X1 on Thursday but Danny Butterfield and Mikele Leigertwood are two weeks away from resuming training.

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