Eberechi Eze to Miss Manchester United Trip as Glasner Confirms More Injuries | OneFootball

Eberechi Eze Injury Adds to Crystal Palace Concerns Ahead of Manchester United Clash

Crystal Palace’s preparations for their trip to Old Trafford have been hit with yet another setback, with manager Oliver Glasner confirming that Eberechi Eze will miss Sunday’s match against Manchester United through injury. The attacking midfielder has been managing a knock since the Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates in December and has been struggling to maintain full fitness in recent weeks.

Eze’s absence is compounded by two long-term injuries elsewhere in the squad, leaving Glasner with significant selection dilemmas as Palace look to secure a crucial result.

Eze Ruled Out as Fitness Issues Persist

The talismanic midfielder, so often the creative heartbeat of this Palace side, will not feature against Manchester United. Glasner explained that Eze has been battling persistent discomfort since sustaining an injury against Arsenal in mid-December.

“We also will miss Eberechi tomorrow. He’s struggled the last weeks and month. He got a knock in the cup game at the Emirates. Since then he always had pain, training, not training, playing, us taking him off.

Photo IMAGO

“Last week, he almost didn’t train whole week, this week it started again. We decided we wanted to get him pain-free so he is able to perform at his best level.”

With five goal contributions in his last six appearances, Eze has been vital in Palace’s attacking play. His absence leaves Glasner with a sizeable creative void to fill in midfield, particularly as the team seeks to improve on their inconsistent Premier League form.

Further Setbacks for Doucouré and Riad

Palace’s injury woes do not stop with Eze. Glasner confirmed that Cheick Doucouré and Chadi Riad will miss the rest of the season with serious knee injuries.

“Several pieces of bad news at the beginning of the week,” Glasner admitted.

“After further assessments, Cheick needed surgery on his knee and Chadi ruptured his ACL. We’ve lost both for the rest of the season and Chadi even longer. Cheick we hope will maybe return for pre-season.”

Doucouré’s absence is a major blow, as the midfielder has been a pivotal presence in breaking up opposition play and dictating tempo. Meanwhile, Riad’s debut season at Selhurst Park has been cruelly cut short after making just a single Premier League appearance.

With defensive depth already a concern, the loss of Riad puts additional strain on Palace’s backline, which has already struggled to maintain stability throughout the campaign.

Some Positives as Wharton and França Return

While the injury news has been overwhelmingly negative, Glasner did provide some optimism, confirming that both Adam Wharton and Matheus França have returned to full training.

“Adam Wharton and França trained with us the whole week without any issues. Both will maybe be in the squad, because they were both very impressive in training, lifting their confidence and mood after being out for several weeks.”

Photo: IMAGO

The return of Wharton and França could offer Palace some much-needed depth in midfield and attack, though it remains to be seen whether they will be fit enough to start against Manchester United.

Tough Test at Old Trafford

Palace travel to Manchester United on Sunday looking to defy the odds against a side that has slowly regained momentum in the Premier League. With Eze’s absence and key defensive injuries, Glasner will need to find solutions quickly to avoid a difficult afternoon at Old Trafford.

Palace’s away form has been a concern this season, and without one of their most dynamic playmakers in Eze, they will need a disciplined, resilient performance to secure a positive result.

Glasner’s men have shown flashes of their potential, but consistency remains an issue. How they cope with their injury setbacks could define their season.