Updates on Mateta, Sarr & six more: Crystal Palace injury news & expected return dates
Crystal Palace could be without eight players for their next Premier League game against Man City.
Oliver Glasner will be pleased with his side’s recent form in the Premier League, as they have won their last two games against Fulham and Burnley, and are now preparing for a major clash against Manchester City on Sunday.
If Palace manage to beat City over the weekend, they could cement their place in the top four and begin to look like real contenders for a Champions League spot next season. However, there are some injury doubts, as there are eight Palace players who could miss the Man City game.
Crystal Palace injuries: Goalkeeper and defence
Daniel Munoz - Saturday 17 January vs Sunderland. Defender Munoz suffered a bad knee injury against Fulham, which will force him to undergo surgery; A huge blow for Palace. Glasner said earlier this week: “It's bad news. We will miss Dani for a few weeks; he will undergo surgery. The prognosis is 4-6 weeks, then he should be ready to play. But always, when you undergo surgery, you never know.”
Jaydee Canvot - Thursday 11 December vs Shelbourne. 19-year-old centre-back Jaydee Canvot has been dealing with an illness this week, but it isn’t expected to be a major issue, and he could see a surprise appearance in the Conference League against Shelbourne on Thursday.
Chadi Riad - January 2026. Riad is also a long-term injury; he looked as though he could return in November, too, but has suffered several setbacks in his knee recovery. As things stand at the moment, he looks a similar case to Doucoure, with a likely return coming in January.
Rio Cardines - Unknown. 19-year-old wing-back Cardines has made just one appearance this season, and it came in the Carabao Cup. However, he is still working to have more of a role, but he’s been hampered by a groin issue he suffered in November. There is no reported return date for the 19-year-old, which suggests his injury is worse than initially feared at Selhurst Park.
Caleb Kporha - Unknown. Right-back Kporha has appeared twice in the Premier League this season, but he is currently out of action, as he is dealing with a lower back injury that he suffered in September. There is no return date reported for the 19-year-old as of yet.
Crystal Palace injuries: Midfield
Ismaila Sarr - Sunday 14 December vs Manchester City. Sarr suffered an ankle injury during Palace’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, but could make an appearance before he leaves for AFCON in a weeks’ time. He is less likely to feature against City than Mateta, but is still being assessed ahead of the game. Glasner said: “There are some issues with his ankle ligaments - they are not completely torn, but there are some issues. We are still hopeful that he could return before AFCoN, but we have to do further assessments.”
Cheick Doucoure - January 2026. Doucoure continues to recover from his long-term ACL injury that he suffered in the summer, as he underwent surgery at the time, and is now in recovery. It was initially understood that he could return in November, but the 25-year-old is yet to recover, and still hasn’t made an appearance for Palace this season.
Crystal Palace injuries: Attack
Jean-Philippe Mateta - Sunday 14 December vs Man City. Striker Mateta suffered a minor knee injury against Fulham and will likely miss the Europa Conference League clash against Shelbourne on Thursday. However, it isn’t expected to be a big problem, and Mateta is being assessed ahead of the weekend. Glasner said earlier this week: “The plan is that he will return to training on Friday, and then he should be available.”