Three Crystal Palace players face axe vs Burnley as fixture congestion causes chaos
Crystal Palace will be looking to bounce back from a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Man United on 30 November against relegation favourites Burnley on 3 December.
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s retaken penalty kick against Man United wasn’t enough for the south London outfit to hold on to the three points.
The defeat saw the Red Devils win for the first time at Selhurst Park since 2020, as the relentless schedule of European matches clearly showed the longer the game went on.
Now, with Oliver Glasner evidently unhappy with Crystal Palace’s limited squad, changes will need to be made ahead of a nightmarish congested fixture run in December.
Adam Wharton
Former Sunderland scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that Man United were impressed with Adam Wharton’s performance against them on 30 November.
Yet, his positive exploits will likely have a knock-on effect given the Englishman’s recent injury record for Crystal Palace.
Glasner will be aware that he needs to protect his prized midfielder as much as possible for the upcoming fixture run with the 21-year-old clearly not ready to play multiple times in a week just yet.
Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes will be waiting in the wings to deputise and, against a Burnley side who sit 19th in the table, now is the perfect time to give him a well-deserved rest.
Chris Richards
Another player who has had his minutes managed this season is the USA international, who has received rests mostly in the Conference League, starting just two of Palace’s four matches.
Chris Richards did miss Crystal Palace’s 3-0 win over Liverpool in the EFL Cup back on 29 October, and has been eased back into the side.
Whilst nearing full fitness, the Austrian manager will be in no rush to play him against Burnley, given the exciting promise of Jaydee Canvot.
The Frenchman has featured seven times for the Eagles since moving from Toulouse and, with Marc Guehi set to leave on a free at the end of the season, is seen as one of the long-term centre-backs at the club.
Tyrick Mitchell
Arguably the most strenuous position in the Glasner system, the wingbacks are required to have immense stamina to cope with high-pressing and the flurry of fixtures.
Whilst there is limited back-up for Daniel Munoz on the right-hand side, Tyrick Mitchell could be in line for a spot on the bench against the Clarets.
The Englishman last saw a rest at the end of October and will be vital for the Eagles’ success moving forward in December.
Borna Sosa looks to remain out for the clash at Turf Moor, but young Justin Devenny could be utilised instead at left-wingback, just like he did for Northern Ireland on international duty.