Crystal Palace may finally have a bit of good news. According to Standard Sport, Jorgen Strand Larsen’s ankle injury “is not believed to be serious” and the striker “could be in contention” for next weekend’s crucial match against Coventry.
That matters, because Palace need bodies, goals and some basic stability. Strand Larsen withdrew from Norway duty on Wednesday and will return to London over the weekend for further treatment. The issue dates back to the Europa League draw with Besiktas, when he picked up the injury after a challenge from Umit Akdag. The foul “resulted in a straight red card” and Palace were left without him for defeats against Newcastle and Tottenham.
He did return for the 3-1 loss to Liverpool at Selhurst Park, and even in defeat his availability was significant. With Jean-Philippe Mateta suspended, Palace can hardly afford to lose another centre-forward. The report states that “his return to fitness last weekend came as a huge boost for Palace”, and that any chance he is available against Coventry “will be a huge relief for the Eagles”. That is hard to argue with.
Photo IMAGO
Crystal Palace facing pressure on and off the pitch
The bigger issue is obvious. Palace are bottom of the Premier League, with “two of their opening 10 games” won. That is not a wobble, that is a mess. Results have been poor, confidence looks shot and the managerial situation is hanging over everything.
Standard Sport reports that “Pierre Sage is expected to be sacked as Palace manager in the coming days”, with “Thomas Frank the frontrunner to succeed the Frenchman”. Palace only appointed Sage this summer, but the piece says he “has struggled to follow in the footsteps of Oliver Glasner” and is now likely to pay the price for a “disastrous start to the season”.
So this is where Palace are, waiting on one striker’s ankle and one manager’s exit. Strand Larsen’s fitness will not solve everything, but it gives them a…
..
