Eberechi Eze injury blow offers chance for Eddie Nketiah to make Crystal Palace statement | OneFootball

Oliver Glasner has selection dilemma for trip to Old Trafford

Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford became all the more complicated for Crystal Palace on Friday afternoon when it emerged that Eberechi Eze would not be part of the squad travelling up to Manchester.

That causes Oliver Glasner a selection dilemma against Manchester United.

And so it looks as though Glasner will have to choose between two summer signings, Nketiah and Kamada, to partner another summer recruit, Ismaila Sarr, in attacking midfield against the Red Devils.

Daichi Kamada is another Palace player who will need to step up

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Whichever of the pair does not start is likely to at least appear off the bench, and it is high time they fill the void and step up in the absence of Eze, who may not be enjoying his most glimmering season but has still registered goal contributions in five of his last six outings and will be a big miss.

Nketiah has struggled to produce a telling impact at his new club since making a deadline-day move from boyhood club Arsenal in the summer. £30million is a considerable investment for a team like Palace, and though there have been well-taken goals in the Carabao Cup against QPR and Arsenal, the England international is yet to find the net for the Eagles in the league.

In his defence, 11 of his 17 league appearances have come from the bench — first-choice striker Jean-Philippe Mateta an immovable object in more ways than one, these days — but more was expected of Nketiah when he signed. Not renowned for being a big-game player with the Gunners, how dearly Palace would love him to play a leading role in turning over United on their own turf.

While Glasner appears to prefer using Kamada in a double pivot, it could well be a case of needs must on Sunday. The 28-year-old may start alongside Sarr, who, it must be said, has enjoyed a much more seamless transition from new recruit to key man.

The Japan international, like Nketiah, is still searching for his first league goal for Palace. And peculiarly he, too, has found the net twice in the Carabao Cup.

Both will hope Old Trafford can be the setting where they take on a new-found prominence within Glasner’s thinking and a greater role in his team going forward. With Eze missing, someone must provide a spark.