Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has revealed that the limited game time afforded to Cheikhou Kouyate is as a result of the stiff competition for places in his squad.
The Senegal international has only gotten 20 minutes of Premier League action this season since he joined Palace from West Ham United in July.
And the former England boss has explained that although the midfielder along with Max Meyer are raring to go, the other players' performances ‘have kept them out’.
“Both Max Meyer and Cheikhou Kouyate are players that we have brought in, as well as Jordan Ayew who made his first-team debut from the start against Southampton, and we have been very happy with all three of them,” Hodgson said in a pre-match conference.