Crystal Palace have suffered a significant injury blow ahead of their Premier League encounter against Burnley this afternoon after key midfielder James McArthur was ruled out of action.

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The Eagles will be looking to extend their six-game unbeaten run when they travel to Turf Moor but will have to do so without their 34-year-old maestro in the middle of the park.

"James (McArthur) has a hamstring issue, and he is going to be out for the next couple of weeks," Patrick Vieira confirmed in Friday's press conference.

However, it wasn't all bad news on the fitness front as far as the Eagles were concerned. Joachim Andersen was declared fit after returning early from international duty, while Eberechi Eze is set to be part of the matchday squad for the first time since May.

"They are both doing well," the Frenchman confirmed. "Joachim trained with the team, and he will be part of the group that travels to Burnley. Eze is doing really well. He played two games, 90 minutes, and has been training. He will be part of the group as well."

Patrick Vieira will be gutted

Despite the positive updates on those two players, the news that McArthur will be sidelined for a few more weeks will leave Vieira feeling gutted, given the veteran's importance to the team.

The former Scotland international has started every Premier League game for Palace this season, captaining the side on six occasions, and his underlying numbers are evidence of his influence over proceedings.

As per WhoScored, McArthur has averaged 50.6 passes, 2.3 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 1.4 dribbles and 0.6 blocks per league game in 2021/22, placing him in the top four for each metric when compared to his teammates.

Therefore, his enforced absence against Burnley will be a huge blow for Palace and Vieira, potentially hampering their hopes of recording three consecutive victories.

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