Dan Cook has predicted James McArthur will not play for Crystal Palace again following his recent injury concerns.
The midfielder is yet to feature for his side this season as he continues his journey to return to full fitness.
He has made 319 Premier League appearances since joining in 2014 and has been a trusted lieutenant at Selhurst Park over the past eight years.
Unfortunately for the Scotsman, constant injuries have meant his future is hanging in the balance, as his contract will expire in the summer of 2023. Given his lack of playing time, it’s unlikely Patrick Vieira will be willing to offer a new deal, especially as his return date is still unconfirmed.
If McArthur can recover before the end of the season, he will need to display some top-level performances if he wants to convince the board he should stay at the London side.
Cook is adamant McArthur will be on his way out, though, and told the HLTCO podcast: “Patrick Vieira spoke to the press post-match [against Botafogo] and revealed that both James McArthur and Nathan Ferguson have had setbacks in their planned returns from injury.
“Of course, Jimmy [McArthur] has this long-term hip problem, and at the age of 35, I think it’s probably fair to say there’s a decent chance we won’t ever see him pull on a Crystal Palace shirt again, as sad as that is.”
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