Oliver Glasner confirms huge boost for Crystal Palace vs Everton and reveals player 'faces battle'

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has confirmed a number of injury boosts ahead of his side’s home clash with Everton on Saturday evening. The Eagles have enjoyed a fine run of late, winning four of their last five games across all competitions, but they have had some injury issues along the way.

Preparing for a clash with another resurgent side in Everton, Palace were sweating on the fitness of Eberechi Eze, Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah, but there is good news.

Glasner has confirmed that all three will return for this one, saying in his pre-match press conference: “There are no new issues, and all three are back. All three trained and are available tomorrow."

The good news doesn’t end there, with Adam Wharton now passed fit to start having played in the FA Cup during the week. Glasner added: “It was surprising he could play 60 minutes," Glasner smiled. "Even then he said, ‘oh, come on, I’d like to play more!'

"He did well. He trained the whole week – no reaction on the load – and he had a good week again. I think he’s ready and now, with the other players back, it’s maybe tough – but it's the best situation you can have as manager. We have him, Will Hughes and Jeff Lerma in midfield. We have several options in our front three, the same as our wing-backs. We have a good situation, of course, and we want to keep this for the next three months."

Chilwell braced for start

New loan signing Ben Chilwell is another who is able to start here, though Glasner has made it clear that he still faces a battle for a starting spot. "Ben is ready to start,” added the Palace boss. “That doesn’t meant that he starts [against Everton] because also T [Tyrick Mitchell] did well – it’s now to find the best mix.

"We’ve been quite successful the last weeks and we want to stay consistent, but it’s good to have options. There will be busier periods in the next months; now we have one week until Fulham [away], but then we have the next three-game week.

"Every player wants to play football, that's why they have this job and why they are doing it. Of course it was good for Ben to be back in team training, to be back in a game, because [he was] always training individually [at Chelsea] and a lot of time in the gym, and then you have to become a weightlifter and not a football player! He's a football player, he's a great football player, and that's why I think he also enjoyed it."

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