After inflicting Jurgen Klopp’s first Premier League defeat last Sunday, Alan Pardew promised his players an extra day off, as the Premier League gives way to the international break.
But for two players that luxury doesn’t apply; Connor Wickham and Marouane Chamakh are two players the Eagles have sorely missed this season. Wickham featured in the last 15 minutes against Liverpool, but Chamakh hasn’t featured all season due to a troublesome hamstring injury.
Pardew wants to make sure they are both firing in time for Palace’s home against Sunderland on the 23rd November. So the pair is set to undergo a rigorous training program; a ‘mini pre-season’ as Pardew puts it.
Wickham and Chamakh will undergo ‘mini pre-season’
With the rest of the squad afforded a day-off after what have been two impressive performances against two top sides in Manchester United and Liverpool; Palace need to be able to call upon more striking options after the international break.
So far Dwight Gayle has done an excellent job up top, but they have lack the options they had at the beginning of the season.
Speaking to the Croyden Advertiser, Pardew said: "Marouane Chamakh and Connor Wickham need a pre-season really, or a mini pre-season, so that's what they're going to get. They will get no time off."
To cope without a large proportion of his attacking players for a prolonged period of time, Pardew feels his side have done well: ”If you look at any Premier League team, if you take your top two strikers out of it, we've done terrific really," he said.
And with winnable games against Sunderland and Newcastle to come at Selhurst, having the option of Wickham and Chamakh will certainly make the side stronger.