Everything Oliver Glasner said about Chris Richards injury blow as Crystal Palace woes deepen
Oliver Glasner has been handed yet another major setback as Crystal Palace face a congestion of fixtures at Selhurst Park.
Palace were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Arsenal on penalties on Tuesday, 23 December, with Maxence Lacroix‘s own goal being cancelled out by Marc Guehi to force spot-kicks.
Walter Benitez was the Eagles’ hero in the first 45 minutes, denying Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Noni Madueke on several occasions, but it was not enough to secure a spot in the next round.
Palace had drawn 2-2 with KuPS in the Europa Conference League last week, with Glasner being forced to rotate his squad with youngsters, before facing Leeds United and losing 4-1.
The trip to the Emirates Stadium was their third game in five days, and with such a small squad at his disposal, Glasner is facing yet more turmoil after Chris Richards was stretchered off.
Oliver Glasner confirms Chris Richards needed stitches vs Arsenal
Palace are already without Daniel Munoz, Daichi Kamada, and now Ismaila Sarr due to AFCON, and supporters will be thinking the worst after seeing their centre-back needing major treatment.
In a post-match interview, Glasner touched on the American’s injury, suggesting that the defender might not be fit for the Eagles’ upcoming game against Tottenham after needing stitches.
“He got a knock on his foot, a stamp on his feet. It needed to be stitched; I don’t know how many, but a few. The doctor told me that it doesn’t look so bad, so I’m always hopeful. We have to be hopeful,” he said.
“I don’t know if he’ll be okay for the Tottenham game but I’m still hoping he’ll be back against Fulham. We have 16 out-field players, so we can’t afford to miss someone else.”
Richards’ injury history could be a concern for the Eagles
In just the 2024-25 campaign alone, the 25-year-old missed a total of 13 games for club and country, though these were through three separate injuries across the campaign.
During the 2022-23 season, he missed another 11 matches with a leg injury, while Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim fans are more than aware of his setbacks on the field.
However, none of these have been horrendously long layoffs. With games coming thick and fast for the Eagles, though, Glasner cannot afford to have any further long-term injuries.
Palace’s defence appears to be withering away with each passing game, and with multiple competitions to compete in, it remains to be seen how much longer they can keep it up.