Crystal Palace receive huge £18m injury boost ahead of Leicester City and Man Utd

Crystal Palace hope to have Adam Wharton fit to face Leicester City and Manchester United in the South London club's first Premier League fixtures after the current international break.

That comes as a boost for the Eagles who had seen their talented midfielder drop out of the England under-21 squad this week with a groin injury. Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner had already admitted that Wharton had been taking painkillers to get through games after he featured against Chelsea last weekend.

Speaking about the player's fitness, Glasner added: “Since he came back from the Euros, he has had some issues with his body — not big issues but a little bit here, a little bit there.

“He's not in his top fitness level. He's been training with us for three weeks but hasn't been able to do every single training.”

The former Blackburn Rovers man, who arrived at Selhurst Park for £18 million in January, was due to play against Northern Ireland and Austria this week for the England under-21 set-up. The Evening Standard reports that despite the player's withdrawal, it is thought he will be fit enough to face Leicester City at Selhurst Park on September 14.

The Eagles are then in Premier League action with the visit of Manchester United a week later on September 21. There is a Carabao Cup visit to Championship outfit QPR to contend with between those two top flight outings.

Wharton was a surprise omission from the first senior England squad picked by Lee Carsley following Gareth Southgate's departure this summer.

Carsley explained: “I thought about him long and hard. He was a player we watched a lot last season. He’s a player who will be really important to us in the future. I think it will be good for him to go and have a few games for the under-21s.”