Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton will return to the matchday squad for their Conference League tie against AZ Alkmaar.
The 21-year-old fell unwell while with the Palace squad for their Carabao Cup win over Liverpool last week, picking up a fever that sidelined him on Merseyside and the Eagles’ convincing Premier League victory against Brentford on Saturday.
Wharton returned to training this week after being bed-bound and is now gearing up for a busy few days, with Palace set to face Dutch side AZ Alkmaar on Thursday before their grudge match against arch-rivals Brighton on Sunday.
Eagles boss Oliver Glasner hinted that while Wharton is available for Palace’s second home European tie, he is unlikely to play the full 90 after his nasty bout with sickness.
“The players look good,” said Glasner. “It’s just Eddie Nketiah and Rio Cardines who are not available. Adam is back.
“He’s not 100 per cent right now. The fever was too high, so he was just lying in bed. It’s good to have him back in the rhythm and the training sessions. Let’s see how many minutes he gets tomorrow.”
Wharton has made 13 appearances for Palace this season and had started five consecutive league matches before falling ill.
With Thomas Tuchel set to announce his latest England squad on Friday, Wharton - who has been a regular omission - could be overlooked again after missing Palace’s last two matches.
Glasner Update on Chadi Riad
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner watching on
Moroccan defender Chadi Riad made his comeback to first-team training on Tuesday after ten months in the treatment room.
Riad, signed for £14 million from Barcelona in June 2024, suffered an MCL injury in August last year before returning to action in January 2025 and tearing his ACL.
The 22-year-old centre-back has made three appearances for Palace, but he will be required to rack up some minutes for the Under-21s before adding to his senior account.
However, he will be included in the squad tomorrow to help ease him back into the matchday routine. “We had the best news yesterday that he could return to training with the team, so he had yesterday’s session and today’s,” said Glasner.
“He will be in the matchday squad tomorrow because we have one spot free. I spoke to him, it’s about wearing the shirt, experiencing the Selhurst atmosphere and being in the matchday squad.
“He won’t get minutes, but it’s building him up step by step. He needs training rhythm and a few minutes with our Under-21s to get back into game rhythm. There’s no pressure or rush on him, the most important thing is taking him step by step to his top level.”