NATHAN Jones confirmed defender Armel Bella-Kotchap will only be out for at most a matter of weeks after suffering a tweaked knee.

The 20-year-old German international was substituted in the first-half of the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

Jones was unable to give a conclusive update on his status following that match and did not meet with the press again until Saints visited Selhurst Park.

Speaking after the 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup third round, he confirmed more conclusive news on both Bella-Kotchap and the absent Stuart Armstrong.

“He (Bella-Kotchap) just tweaked his knee so it’s a weeks thing. We’ve got a few there so I know there are frustrations,” he said.

“Stuart Armstrong has been playing through pain so we had to take him out today,” Jones added.

“There’s nothing behind that apart from having to take him out as he’s been playing through pain and doing a bit-part job. That adds to the frustration when he’s not coming on for an hour. 

“We took Romeo (Lavia) out as two games in three or four days after what he’s come back from wasn’t best. We had to use the squad today and I’m really proud of how it went.”

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