£5m star set for swift Crystal Palace return after exit as Oliver Glasner to make bold call on £30m signing
The Premier League return is almost here and Palace will be hoping they can build on the draw at Chelsea.
Crystal Palace will welcome Leicester to Selhurst Park this weekend, featuring former forward Jordan Ayew, who left the club to join the Foxes for £5million in the summer.
The Ghanaian, who spent the past six years at Palace after initially joining on loan in 2018, has gone straight into Steve Cooper’s team and is in line to start this weekend. Ayew played for Ghana against Angola but was left out of the 1-1 draw against Niger on Monday afternoon.
The Ghanaian made 212 appearances for Palace, scoring 23 goals, and was a second-half substitute in their 2-1 defeat by Brentford on the opening day of the Premier League season. The 32-year-old, whose fee could rise to £8 million with add-ons, was known for his hard work, a trait the Foxes could certainly use as they chase their first league win since returning to the Premier League.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner will be hoping that the international break has given new signing Eddie Nketiah who joined from Arsenal for £30million enough time to be ready for his debut this weekend. Jean-Philippe Mateta is in form, and the big decision will be whether to start him on the bench or throw him straight into the action.
The Eagles haven't had the best start to the season, with two defeats, but they showed resilience when they came from behind to draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. At the start of the season, there were hopes that Palace could fight for a top-half finish, especially after their impressive performances under Glasner, who had previously won the Europa Conference League in Germany. However, the disappointing start to the season has deflated some of those expectations. A win this weekend could help restore confidence. Both sides are still waiting for their first league win of the season.