Crystal Palace's pursuit of Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez has hit a significant obstacle, with the Premier League club weighing whether to proceed after complications emerged from his medical examination.

Palace had moved swiftly to secure Ordonez ahead of Aston Villa, agreeing an initial loan deal with an option to purchase the Ecuador international at the end of the season. However, the 22-year-old centre-back is currently sidelined with a broken metatarsal — and the injury is understood to be more serious than the Eagles first assessed when they entered negotiations.

Palace were not kept in the dark about the metatarsal issue; the club knew about it before the deal was struck. What has changed is the severity of the setback, which has prompted the club to pause and make a final call on whether to honour the agreement.

Defensive crisis drives urgency

The south London club's rush to bolster their defence stems from an injury suffered by Chadi Riad, who was carried off on a stretcher during the match against Everton on Saturday — a blow that exposed the thinness of their options at centre-back.

Palace have already moved to address the shortage, completing the loan signing of Axel Disasi from Chelsea on Wednesday. But the club are determined to bring in at least one additional central defender before the transfer window closes, and the uncertainty surrounding Ordonez means that search continues.