During the pre-match media commitments, Roy Hodgson provided an update on several Palace players ahead of the visit of Watford to Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.
The manager described Cenk Tosun's serious knee injury as a "massive, and cruel, blow", expressing huge sympathy for the Turkish forward who had settled in well in South London.
Whilst the Tosun news "hit us for six", elsewhere it was a very positive picture painted by the boss. He said: "James Tomkins has recovered and trained with us this morning [albeit] in a lighter way, but he’ll be back in full training on Monday.