Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Crystal Palace could line up for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has been handed a devastating double injury blow ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Eagles upset Aston Villa 2-1 in the fourth round of the EFL Cup in midweek, but the two jewels in their crown – Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton – were both taken off in the first half.
Glasner has confirmed that Eze has suffered a hamstring injury, surely ruling him out of this one, but Wharton’s withdrawal was due to his long-standing groin problem, leading his boss to affirm that he was “very positive” about the prognosis.
Nevertheless, it would be a shock to see the 2004-born midfielder start at Molineux, where Rob Holding (disciplinary), Jefferson Lerma (thigh), Chadi Riad (knee), Matheus Franca (groin) and Chris Richards (thigh) will also be unavailable, and it remains to be seen if Cheick Doucoure will be back from his toe issue.
Glasner went strong for the EFL Cup win at Villa and will largely keep faith with the XI barring the enforced changes, as Maxence Lacroix, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Guehi form the three-man wall in front of Dean Henderson.
Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell are shoo-ins out wide, and if Doucoure is not able to step in for Wharton in the middle of the park, Daichi Kamada – Wednesday’s match-winner – may drop a little deeper to partner Will Hughes.
In that scenario, Ismaila Sarr would be the first port of call to stand in for Eze, as Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta work in tandem up top.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Kamada, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Nketiah
> Click here to see how Wolves could line up for this clash
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