Oliver Glasner retains Crystal Palace backing heading into crunch Premier League period

Crystal Palace’s disastrous start to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign saw them drop into the relegation zone before the start of the international break.

The Eagles lost 2-0 at home to Fulham on Saturday, with goals from Croydon’s Emile Smith Rowe and substitute Harry Wilson leaving Oliver Glasner’s side on seven points after their first 11 games.

Summer signing Daichi Kamada was also sent off in the second half to compound a difficult afternoon for the South Londoners.

Ipswich’s 2-1 win over Tottenham saw Palace drop into the bottom three for the first time this season.

Wolves also picked up their first win of the season – beating bottom-of-the-league Southampton 2-0 to move onto six points and tighten up the gap between sides in the danger zone.

The seven points Palace have accrued in their first 11 games is the second lowest tally from their 11 full seasons since winning promotion back to the Premier League in the 2012-13 season, only better than the four points picked from the 2013-14 and 2017-18 campaigns.

Glasner retains the backing of the Eagles hierarchy, but it was the Austrian’s decision to work with a reduced squad heading into his first full season in charge – a decision which has come under scrutiny due to the injury crisis.

Palace have been without several key players – Eberechi Eze, Jefferson Lerma and Eddie Nketiah – all missing through hamstring injuries.

Matheus Franca has also missed the entire season with a fractured rib and a groin injury.

The Brazillian £26million signing is not set to return until the end of 2024, which has seen the move to allow Jesurun Rak-Sakyi to go on loan to Championship side Sheffield United be scrutinized.

Glasner admitted it was unlikely that all would return for next Saturday’s clash at Aston Villa, but Lerma is expected to return to training in the second week of the international break.

“It could be that no one comes back,” said the former Wolfsburg boss.

“Maybe one – maximum two. Let’s see in two weeks.”

Justin Devenny was handed his debut for the Eagles alongside Marc Guehi in midfield and held his own against a far superior Fulham squad.

The 21-year-old was picked over Cheick Doucoure, who has only recently returned from a toe injury.

When asked if he regretted the choice of slimming down the squad, Glasner said: “Our new signings were not in a football rhythm and we could have done better [in signing players earlier].

“This may be collateral damage that you have to suffer during a season. Two, three or four, you can deal with (but) then with three extraordinary injuries we didn’t expect, and we couldn’t expect, it takes so long (for them to recover.) That is how it is, but we still have 14 players available.”

The summer recruitment has also come into question.

Summer signings Ismaila Sarr and Nketiah, the two players who could cost in the region of £42.5m and were brought to cover the loss of Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, have both failed to convert an attacking return in this Premier League campaign.

Palace are likely going to have to spend big again in this coming January market and have set their stall out to bring in more attacking creativity and depth for Tyrick Mitchell at left wing-back.

PICTURE: Soccer Images / Alamy Stock Photo