Crystal Palace key man ruled out of Premier League clash against Arsenal

BY ALEX PEWTER

Crystal Palace will be without Eberechi Eze ahead of their second match against Arsenal this week.

The attacking midfielder suffered a foot injury in the first-half against Brighton last Sunday and was risked in the EFL Cup tie in north London on Wednesday despite a short turnaround for the tie.

Eze played for the opening 60 minutes at the Emirates but struggled with reduced mobility, an important aspect of his game.

With that in mind, Palace manager Oliver Glasner and his team have opted to give him time to recover rather than feature against the Gunners tomorrow evening.

“Ebs is not available,” said Glasner. “He had the hit on his foot against Brighton and played with it swollen at the Emirates. Then he took another kick there. It makes no sense [to play him] as he’s not at 100 per cent, and we need every player to be that.”

However, after getting a short rest, the England international is expected to be back with the team for the Boxing Day match at Bournemouth—and Glasner isn’t worried about the severity.

“It doesn’t look serious. When you have to kick the ball, it’s always painful, and he wasn’t free when moving. When you’re feeling pain when you move, maybe you’re thinking too much about it and can play like you normally play.

“This is what we need, the best Eberechi Eze, so he has to be fit like all the other players.”

Elsewhere, the injury situation hasn’t changed from their last match – with no returns to the squad and no further players added to the injury list. With Adam Wharton’s and Chadi Riad’s returns delayed due to setbacks, the team has to navigate the remainder of the tight fixture list without expected reinforcements. For now, it’s a case of balancing the health of their squad.

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD