Crystal Palace face Aston Villa in one of the 3pm kick-off games on Saturday, but the Eagles will do so without manager Roy Hodgson on the sidelines.
It is unclear what the health problem is, although Hodgson’s advanced age – he is the elder statesman of England’s top flight at 76 – may have something to do with it.
With the Eagles’ good
start to the season, the players will certainly want to put in a performance at Villa Park to keep their manager motivated.
Despite losing talisman Wilfried Zaha this summer, Palace have managed to hold on to other big names, including Michael Olise, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea at some point.
Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s game, the worst thing Hodgson can do is run back.
He must take as long as necessary to recover, and if the problem turns out to be stress-related, he may have to accept that his time as a top football coach is over.