Walter Benitez could cause Crystal Palace 'problem' after what he did vs Nottingham Forest

Crystal Palace may be forced into a selection problem as a result of Walter Benitez's outstanding display against Nottingham Forest.

The 33-year-old was handed Palace's Man of the Match award after making some spectacular saves to deny Forest and restrict them to just one goal despite a deluge of chances.

This is not the first impressive performance the Argentina international has turned in, but with Dean Henderson eyeing a return from injury, he could find himself out of the side.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Pierre Sage could face problems in trying to keep both keepers happy, although there are worse problems to have.

The Eagles will be delighted to have two goalkeepers on their books who could both be considered number ones, but it may be tough to appease all parties.

Henderson is expected to regain his starting place upon his return from injury, given his role as club captain and his outstanding displays, but it will not be an easy call to make.

Could Water Benitez be left frustrated at Crystal Palace?

Football Insider reported on 11 October that Liam Delap could be axed from the Nottingham Forest side as a result of his wasteful performance against Crystal Palace.

However, Benitez also played his part in the striker's off day at Selhurst Park to deny him from close range alongside multiple other important saves for the Eagles.

The shot-stopper has rarely featured for Palace since his arrival in 2025, with just 13 appearances to his name, but could now push his manager for a bigger role.

"There are worse problems to have than two goalkeepers challenging for the number-one spot," Brown told Football Insider.

"In fact, I expect Crystal Palace will be quite happy with the situation, because every club in the Premier League would like to have to options capable of starting games.

"That's the ideal scenario, really, everybody would like to have two players in each position who are capable of starting games and filling in without their level dropping.

"Yes, it can sometimes lead to a problem behind the scenes, you get players and agents knocking on your door asking for more playing time.

"But that's their problem, it's the manager's job to put of the team he feels has the best chance of winning, it's up to the players to prove they should be starting games.

"I expect Dean Henderson will come straight back in when he's back from injury, everybody knows how big he is for Crystal Palace, but that's not a knock on Benitez at all."

How highly do Crystal Palace value Dean Henderson?

A significant reason for Palace‘s dilemma surrounding Benitez's playing time is down to how highly they regard Henderson and his role in the side under Sage.

The England international, and Palace's club captain, has been a crucial part of all of the success the Eagles have enjoyed over the last two seasons.

As a result, Football Insider revealed during the summer that Crystal Palace were determined to keep Henderson at the club at all costs.

Nottingham Forest made a surprise bid to sign the goalkeeper late in the summer window, but quickly saw their bid rebuffed by Palace who had no plans to entertain his exit.

Since then, he has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract at Selhurst Park to extend his stay until 2030 and dismiss any speculation about his long-term future.