Cheick Doucouré

Key strength: Interceptions and ball recovery

Deep-lying defensive midfielder / ball-winning midfielder

At 25 years old, Cheick Doucouré finds himself in the cruel limbo of long-term injury, with a knee surgery setback keeping the Malian defensive midfielder sidelined until November 2025. Before the devastating blow, the €20m-rated enforcer had made 6 appearances for Crystal Palace this season, clocking 450 minutes as Oliver Glasner's side sit 14th in the Premier League table. Since arriving from Lens for €23m in July 2022, Doucouré has established himself as a reliable deep-lying ball-winner, accumulating 197 senior career appearances with 8 goals and 10 assists. His defensive partnership with Marc Guéhi and Chris Richards has been crucial to Palace's stability, making his prolonged absence a significant concern. Locked into a contract until 2029, Doucouré represents long-term value for the Eagles, but Palace must navigate the remainder of this campaign without their metronomic midfielder.