Crystal Palace manager Hodgson discusses Olise, Lerma progress

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson is delighted to be starting preseason preparations for the new Premier League campaign.

Hodgson, who signed a one year deal to continue as Palace boss, also provided updates on several players.

He spoke specifically about the likes of Michael Olise and Jefferson Lerma after a training session.

On Olise's injury with the England U21s, he stated: There's no update as such. We've known since the injury that it might take a while for him to get fit again. It was a serious injury which required an operation.

We see him in here all the time. He's well into his rehabilitation but it's going to take a bit longer than a few weeks for him to recover, so at the moment we're just hoping that the rehabilitation will go well and that we'll get him back as quickly as possible.

Certainly, we won't be seeing him for a period of time."

On new signing Jefferson Lerma, he added: [Lerma] is another one who came back late because he was on international duty with Colombia. He came back and unfortunately developed a problem with gastroenteritis he was suffering with his stomach and was pretty sick which prevented him from training.

Today is the first time I've actually had the chance to see him on the field with us, but he looked good I've got to say that.

It's not a problem, because this sickness is something which happens to every player. He's a bit unlucky; when you come to a new club, everyone's looking forward to seeing you and you want to make your mark straight away. To lose four or five days to sickness straight away is a blow, but luckily now he's going to be 100 percent from this moment on.

I'm thinking from Saturday, as long as these next three days in training go okay for him, it might be the first time we get a chance to see him on the field of play, and then he'll come with us to America and he'll be banging on the door for a place in the team.

The competition's going to be really, really strong in that midfield area, because we've got some very good players in that area already."