Crystal Palace is gearing up to face Manchester City on Saturday under challenging circumstances, grappling with poor form and significant player absences. Key figures such as Eberechi Eze and Sam Johnstone are unavailable, contributing to Palace’s winless streak of five Premier League games, with only one point earned during that period. The upcoming clash against Manchester City will also be without Odsonne Edouard and Jordan Ayew due to injury and suspension, respectively, leaving Palace with a severely depleted squad.
Despite this adversity, there is a glimmer of hope for Crystal Palace as two recently injured players, defender Tyrick Mitchell and midfielder Jefferson Lerma, could make a return for the City match, as reported by The Standard. Mitchell was substituted during the defeat to Bournemouth, leading to Nathaniel Clyne filling in against Liverpool. Lerma, dealing with a hamstring issue, was withdrawn during the match at Selhurst Park. Their potential availability would be a significant boost for manager Roy Hodgson, given their crucial roles in the team this season.
The injury situation at Crystal Palace has underscored not only the unusually high number of injuries but also the squad’s lack of depth. The club failed to address this concern during the summer transfer window, leaving Mitchell as the sole natural left-back available. Mitchell started every game when fully fit, making a muscle injury almost inevitable due to the absence of rotational cover. The team is now actively seeking a left-back in the January transfer window to rectify this issue.
The lack of reinforcements in the squad, coupled with a reluctance to provide match experience to youth players, has exacerbated the depth problem. Consequently, Crystal Palace finds itself with a thin roster stretched to its limits, leaving Hodgson with limited options to choose from. The pressing need for squad strengthening is evident, and addressing these issues will be crucial for the team’s competitiveness and resilience in the remainder of the season.
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