Crystal Palace have suffered yet another blow as a £90,000 per week “beast” has picked up a muscle injury and looks a major doubt for their game against Fulham this weekend, according to a recent report.
It’s been a good week for the Eagles, as they claimed their first win of the season against Tottenham Hotspur and then followed that up by knocking Aston Villa out of the Carabao Cup, before grabbing a point away at Wolves. The pressure has eased on manager Oliver Glasner, but the injury crisis hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
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Crystal Palace news and updates
The January transfer window is around six weeks away from opening, and Palace already have a player in mind should they lose Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Eagles are looking to extend Mateta’s contract, but a deal is not agreed as of yet, and his wage demands could be a problem.
Therefore, Palace have placed Oumar Diakite at the top of their list should Mateta leave Selhurst Park. The 20-year-old currently plays for French side Reims, and the South London hierarchy have been watching him in France for a while now.
But before thinking about January, Glasner will have more pressing matters to deal with as the Premier League side suffers an injury crisis. In the last week, Palace have lost Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton and Jefferson Lerma all through injuries.
Glasner confirmed this after the Villa game last week, and he stated that all three are going to be out until after the November international break, but they are not alone as Palace have a new face in the treatment room this week.
Another Palace star hit with muscle injury as crisis mounts
According to South London Press reporter Edmund Brack, Eddie Nketiah has picked up a hamstring injury and is a major doubt for their game against Fulham on Saturday. The 25-year-old joined Palace towards the end of the summer transfer window from Arsenal, and it has been a slow start to his career at Selhurst Park.
Nketiah, who earns a weekly wage of £90,000, has yet to score for his new side in the Premier League, and the wait might have to go on a little longer, as he looks probable to miss the match against Fulham.
The report adds that it is unclear how long the forward is going to be out for, with him not training so far this week. Nketiah, who has been described as a “beast” by former manager Mikel Arteta, has started six of the seven Palace games he has been available for, but his form in front of goal has probably not been what they expected.
If Nketiah fails to recover in time for Palace’s game against Fulham, it opens the door for another attacking player to step up and try and stake a claim in Glasner’s starting XI. However, this will be a blow for the Austrian, as Palace have been lacking quality in front of goal as it is.
