Wanderers' new-signing injury jinx struck again when centre-back sensation Mark Fish was dramatically ruled out of this afternoon's Premiership game at Crystal Palace.

The stunning news broke today when it was revealed the South African international had to make an early-hours hospital dash to have fluid drained from his knee after taking a knock in Tuesday's Reebok clash with Spurs.

Wanderers have no idea how long they will be without their new £2 million signing, whose arrival has helped bring about a much-needed improvement in defence.

But the injury is another blow to their prospects of making an early impression on the top flight.

Fish, who has produced two highly impressive performances since completing his transfer from Italian giants Lazio, has been hit by the same injury hoodoo as fellow newcomers Neil Cox, Robbie Elliott and Peter Beardsley.

Cox has not played since pulling a hamstring in his second game after joining Wanderers for £1.5 million move from Middlesbrough. Record signing Elliott, £2.5 million from Newcastle, faces months on the sidelines after breaking his leg in the Reebok opener against Everton and Beardsley, who arrived from Newcastle in a £500,000 deal, was knocked out of the Coca-Cola Cup tie at Leyton Orient, spending the night in hospital after being concussed in a training ground collision with teammate Jamie Pollock.

"That's just the way that it's going for us at the moment," Colin Todd said with a philosophical sigh.

"It doesn't rain but it pours."

Wanderers aimed to keep the latest handicap under wraps in order not to alert Palace boss Steve Coppell, who was at the Spurs game.

John McGinlay was also missing from the squad for the Palace visit. Last season's 30-goal top scorer, who needed pain-killing injections to get him through the Manchester United game, has been struggling with injury and illness problems and hasn't trained this week.

Todd hopes to learn the extent of Fish's problem over the weekend.

"It's too early to say," the Wanderers boss said. "He took a knock on his knee in the Spurs game. There didn't appear to be anything to worry about when he was examined after the game but at two o'clock in the morning he was in hospital having fluid drained from his knee, which was badly swollen." Wanderers wanted stars? TABLOID reports today suggested that Wanderers star duo Alan Thompson and Peter Beardsley could be transfer targets for London clubs.

Midfielder Thompson is being touted as a £4 million replacement for injury plagued Darren Anderton at Spurs while veteran striker Beardsley could be a target for his former Newcastle boss Keven Keegan, now the new supremo at Fulham.

Wanderers boss Colin Todd is unlikely to encourage either club.

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