Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed that their key player is training on his own after rupturing his rib, and he won’t be involved this weekend.
The Eagles are looking for their first win of the season but will have to find a way to achieve that without their Brazilian full-back. Speaking ahead of the game at the club’s training base, Glasner confirmed the injury: “França is not available. He’s getting closer to the training pitch, but he ruptured his rib, and it’s quite painful. He has already started training individually on the pitch.”
There was also another blow, as Chelsea loanee Trevoh Chalobah picked up an injury during his first training session with the club. Chalobah, who joined on transfer deadline day, will have to wait a bit longer for his Palace debut. Glasner, who admitted the injury was a strange one, ruled out the 25-year-old but not before describing the situation.
He added: “He injured his abdominal muscle in his first session with us – it’s a really strange injury. “He’s also not available tomorrow. It shouldn’t take very long. He’s questionable for the QPR and Manchester United games as well.”
This will be the first time Glasner faces Steve Cooper, who was also linked to the Eagles job before the Austrian got the role. Both teams are winless in their first three games, although Leicester managed a draw against Spurs, and Palace earned an impressive point away at Chelsea recently.
The Eagles will also be able to parade Eddie Nketiah for the first time after he completed a £25 million move from Arsenal to South London this summer. He played in a behind-the-scenes friendly for the club during the international break, and his manager confirmed he’s in line to start tomorrow.
After a tricky start to their Premier League season, Crystal Palace will be hoping for a big result against Leicester City when they return to action after the international break. The Eagles suffered consecutive defeats in their opening two fixtures against Brentford and West Ham, but a hard-fought draw against Chelsea saw them pick up their first point of the season.
Once league action returns, Palace will host the newly promoted Foxes at Selhurst Park. Leicester are just one place ahead of Palace in the table as things stand, with just goal difference separating the two. As both sides prepare for an entertaining outing next weekend, we’ve taken a look at the latest fitness updates for Oliver Glasner’s team.
Jefferson Lerma missed out on Palace’s recent trip to Stamford Bridge after damaging a tendon in his toe. However, some good news for the international break suggests that the midfielder could be back in action for when the Eagles return to Selhurst Park.
According to journalist Pipe Sierra, Palace’s medical team have authorised Lerma to link up with the Colombia national camp following a ‘rapid improvement in his tendon’.
Matheus França
The Athletic reported last month that Matheus França had missed all of pre-season due to injury but he is thought to be close to returning to action. Glasner recently confirmed that the 20-year-old will be unavailable for ‘the next few weeks’ after suffering a fractured rib during training and stressed that he simply must rest to recover.
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