- Crystal Palace face Arsenal on Sunday (May 24th)
- Chris Richards likely to miss the game
- American picked up an ankle injury vs Brentford
Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards didn’t take part in training ahead of Sunday’s encounter with Premier League champions Arsenal. The American suffered a knock in a 2-2 draw against Brentford last Sunday.
Richards had to be helped off the pitch after the game, despite having played on at the Gtech Community Stadium. He sustained a twisted ankle after colliding with Bees frontman Igor Thiago.
The 26-year-old didn’t participate in an open training session ahead of the UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano next Wednesday (May 27th). He was spotted on Thursday morning wearing a strapping on his left ankle, per The Standard.
Richards could miss Arsenal clash
Richards has been a key man in defence for Oliver Glasner this season and has been superb during the Conference League run. He’s featured 50 times across competitions, scoring two goals.
With the Conference League final just a week away, it seems all but certain he doesn’t feature against Arsenal on Sunday. The same should go for Maxence Lacroix, who came off with a facial injury in the draw against Brentford.
Glasner will hold a pre-match press conference this afternoon and is set to give an update on Richards and Lacroix. Most fans will be urging him to rotate heavily for the encounter with Mikel Arteta’s champions, given the risk of key men sustaining injuries.
Time to rotate
Palace face Arsenal in a dead rubber game for both London sides. The Gunners were crowned champions after Manchester City drew 1-1 against Bournemouth on Tuesday.
Glasner insisted he wouldn’t rotate heavily when speaking earlier this month. Situations like Richards’ should serve as a wake-up call that now is the time to focus solely on the Conference League final.
Palace are preparing for their first-ever European final against Rayo Vallecano at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. They will want a fully fit squad for the biggest game of the season.
