Fresh from the international break, Oliver Glasner would have been hoping to use his Crystal Palace side to the best of its ability, but an injury sustained this week stands in the way of that possibility.
Crystal Palace injury news
So far this season, Glanser’s side have been one of the most difficult to predict. They opened their campaign with a narrow 2-1 loss against Brentford which could have gone either way, before West Ham United eased them to one side and then went on to earn a hard-fought point at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. Attempting to evaluate just where this Palace side sit feels an impossible task at this stage.
That inconsistency should come as no shock, however, following the departures of Joachim Andersen and Michael Olise in the summer transfer window, alongside the arrival of fresh faces such as Maxence Lacroix and Eddie Nketiah.
Selhurst Park will likely get the chance to see their new stars in action for the first time on Saturday against Leicester City too. Glasner was quick to point out that a club doesn’t spend such money on players of Nketiah’s calibre, in particular, without handing him crucial minutes.
The Palace boss said: “Yes, he’s ready to start. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have spent about £25 million. We don’t spend £25million for a player to be on the bench. He can play different positions – he’s very smart. He is a different profile to Jean-Philippe.”
Whilst one summer signing is in line for his debut, however, Glasner revealed that Trevoh Chalobah may now miss multiple games after suffering a muscle injury in his first session at the club. Earning a reported £50,000-a-week, the defender and Palace will be hoping that it’s not a sign of things to come.
It’s incredibly frustrating news for the defender, who is yet to play a single minute this season having initially been cast aside at Chelsea before completing a late switch to London rivals Palace.
“Great” Chalobah can compete with Lacroix
When he does return from this early setback, Chalobah will be left competing against fellow summer signing Lacroix for a starting place alongside club captain Marc Guehi. It’s in that battle that the Chelsea academy graduate will look to rediscover his best form and hand Chelsea the ultimate regret in the process.
League stats 23/24 per 90 (via FBref) | Trevoh Chalobah | Maxence Lacroix |
|---|---|---|
Progressive Carries | 0.47 | 0.19 |
Progressive Passes | 2.92 | 3.02 |
Tackles Won | 1.13 | 1.11 |
Ball Recoveries | 4.34 | 4.91 |
It will also be a battle that Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish will no doubt be keeping an eye on, having praised Chalobah when speaking to the club’s official website.
He said: “Trevoh is a talented young man and when the opportunity to bring him to Palace for the season arose, we were determined to seize it. I’m delighted that he has joined us on loan, and we believe he will be a great addition.”
