April 20 2010

Lee Hills

Crystal Palace defender Lee Hills faces eight months out after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.

The left-back limped off after 30 minutes of Palace's 1-1 draw with Derby on Saturday and scans later revealed the full extent of the damage.

Hills, 20, will now miss the Eagles' crucial final matches of the season against West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday.

Physio Nigel Cox said: "Unfortunately Lee has ruptured his ACL and will be out for around eight months. It was the twisting of the studs in the turf that caused the damage.

"It’s a very common injury in football these days and we’re sure Lee will come back as strong as ever.

"We use an excellent surgeon in London and currently we are just preparing Lee for his operation. He’s in good shape, he was up at the training ground this morning and he will probably undergo surgery some time next week when the swelling has gone down."