Crystal Palace sweat over Chris Richards as update emerges ahead of Brentford clash
Crystal Palace are sweating over the fitness of Chris Richards after he missed their 3-0 EFL Cup victory over Liverpool.
Despite beating the Reds away at Anfield on 29 October, Crystal Palace are facing a problematic fixture schedule as a result of their EFL Cup victory.
On a night with many highlights, Yeremy Pino starred for Crystal Palace against Liverpool as Oliver Glasner tried his best to rotate his tiny squad, given the demands of their multi-competition involvement.
One of the absentees from the match day squad was Chris Richards, with the Austrian providing an injury update on him ahead of their clash against Brentford.
Richards could be available for Brentford as Oliver Glasner wary to not rush him back
According to Crystal Palace reporter Bobby Manzi via News Shopper (30 October), the USA international missed the clash at Anfield with a calf injury.
The report details that a scan on the defender revealed there is no tear in the muscle, indicating an ‘imminent’ return is likely.
However, given the intense and gruelling congested fixture run, Glasner may be wise to not rush the 25-year-old back too soon.
Interestingly, the number 26 was rooted to the bench in the Eagles’ 1-0 defeat to AEK Larnaca on 23 October, potentially suggesting the calf issue has been managed in the past few weeks.
With that in mind, the ex-Frankfurt boss should turn to his other options at centre-back, with one teenager showing promise against the Reds on 29 October.
Jaydee Canvot ready for Crystal Palace Premier League debut
The Frenchman bounced back from a difficult game against AEK Larnaca in the Conference League to shine for the Eagles in the EFL Cup.
Jaydee Canvot has been tipped to be a £69million sensation and demonstrated his exciting potential at Anfield.
In contrast to his wayward pass that gave the Cypriot side the win on 23 October, the former Toulouse man was composed on the ball against Liverpool, maintaining a 95 per cent passing accuracy rate.
| Selected stats vs Liverpool (29 October) | Jaydee Canvot |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Touches | 55 |
| Accurate passes (%) | 37/39 (95%) |
| Interceptions | 3 |
| Clearances | 7 |
| Blocked shots | 2 |
| Recoveries | 4 |
Moreover, he was defensively exquisite in the Palace rearguard, blocking two shots, smacking seven clearances and making three interceptions to protect the clean sheet.
In less than a week, there was a remarkable difference in the calmness of the 19-year-old’s game, most likely stemming from the support network his manager and players offered.
With that in mind, Glasner should give Canvot his full Premier League debut against Brentford, allowing Richards to fully recover as well as taking advantage of his early promise and amazing reaction to his mistake in Europe.