Crystal Palace are on the wrong side when it comes to injuries at this current point in the season, so when the news broke and was confirmed by the Austrian that Eddie Nketiah will be missing this weekend it only made matters worse.
Palace host Fulham at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon as they look to extend their unbeaten run to four games in all competitions.
Glasner has spoken at length about the size of his squad being cut this season in order to offer a pathway for more academy players to get a chance in the first team. Although we have rarely seen this become reality with only Asher Agbinone being given first-team minutes this season from the academy.
It might be time for others to get a chance, especially with the injury list growing. Along with this there is the suspension of Will Hughes to deal with, after the midfielder received his fifth yellow card of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It is another important game for Palace where a win could see them move to 15th, defeat on the other hand may see Palace drop back into the relegation zone depending on results.
Speaking to the media ahead of this weekend’s clash, Oliver Glasner offered a squad update, while also speaking about his impending reunion with Joachim Anderson.
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Team News
Palace will still be without a number of first team players this weekend including Ebere Eze, Jefferson Lerma and now Nketiah who all are recovering from hamstring injuries.
Adam Wharton underwent groin surgery last weekend and will be sidelined till after the international break. Chadi Riad and Matheus França are both still working through their rehab and will remain out for the weekend as will Hughes who is suspended.
“We have suffered several injuries. Let’s start with the long-term: Chadi Riad and [Matheus] França are still out." Glasner told the media.
“Then it’s Eberechi Eze who is still out, Adam Wharton after his surgery is still out, Jefferson Lerma is still out, and Eddie Nketiah is out with a hamstring injury."
The manager put blame on himself for Nketiah sustaining an injury, saying he should have subbed the forward earlier in the draw against Wolves.
“At Villa, Eddie was the guy who was sprinting the most on the pitch in 83 minutes,” he explained. “I think it’s my mistake: it’s my fault that I didn’t substitute him earlier in the Wolves game, because he was sprinting again."
Glasner also mentioned that both Joel Ward and Chris Richards have recovered from injuries and will be with the squad this weekend.
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A chance to step up
"But it's also a chance for other players to step up and to show that we can work as a team. I think our team did it excellently during the last week. We had a very tight schedule, three games within six days. Having two subs in the first-half at [Aston] Villa in the Carabao Cup and also getting the win there, and then going to Wolves."
Glasner spoke heavily about the congested fixture schedule his team faced last week and how that contributed to the injuries they have recently faced.
During the summer Crystal Palace chose to cut the size of their first team squad to allow a chance for academy players to get minutes with the first team.
So far this season that has been a false promise, with only Agbinone getting minutes in the first team this season from the academy players who are regularly selected in the squad. The forward was subbed on for just the final three minutes during the defeat against Nottingham Forest last month.
"We have a squad of 20 on-field players. We have good youngsters from the academy, so we will have a very competitive squad tomorrow against Fulham and we’ll go for the win."
If Palace want to prevent further injuries to the first-team squad then giving out more opportunities to the academy players is a must.
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Going back to basics
The Palace manager has spoke about how his team have gone "back to basics" and that being the reason for their slight upturn in form.
"But I'm really delighted that we have the basics back. We have the fitness level back because you need the basics.
Everybody in the staff, I think we are tactically really good, but we couldn't play a Premier League game because our legs won't do it again. The players, they have their legs now, they have their mind now because they got the results, and then it's to show it again."
Palace have found the intensity in recent weeks which saw them go unbeaten in their last seven games of last season. This intensity has impacted their results against Tottenham, Aston Villa and Wolves.
"Like always, you need the results and you need the momentum, and also the players could see. We showed them that they really found their intensity, and they are now at the fitness level you need."
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Reuniting with Joachim Andersen
Joachim Andersen left Palace in the summer for this weekend's opponents Fulham. The Danish international only worked with Glasner for 13 games but during their time together Palace hit their best run of form during the season.
Andersen was pivotal in the heart of the Palace back three in their good form at the end of the season which saw the South London side win six of their last seven. Andersen was given the captain's armband and had a good relationship with his manager and had the trust of the rest of the team, being one of the most vocal in the dressing room which helped Palace stay clear of relegation.
"I'm really looking forward to meeting Joachim Andersen again. Great guy. He had a very good time at Palace and he was also a great player for me and for our staff since we arrived – but there will be no friendship during the 90 or during the 100 minutes!"
