BY ANDREW MCSTEEN
FA Cup-winning boss Oliver Glasner has confirmed that the England pair of Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton will miss Crystal Palace’s final home game of the season against Wolves on Tuesday night.
Defender and captain Guehi suffered a blow to his eye in the 1-0 victory over Manchester City, leaving the pitch for Jefferson Lerma in the 61st minute, but was well enough to lift the trophy at the end of the match and join in the post-match celebrations.
However, it was later reported that he was taken to hospital after complaining about a loss of sight and worries that he had suffered a fractured eye socket.
Wharton was subbed off late on following a blow to his head from a Kevin de Bruyne shot after initially passing concussion protocol earlier in the game and subsequently went to hospital too, finally getting his hands on the trophy on Monday.
The Eagles have two games remaining of the season, with a trip to Anfield to face Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday afternoon ending what could be a record-points campaign.
“Adam and Marc will definitely miss tomorrow’s game,” said Glasner. “Adam will also miss the Liverpool game, he had concussion at the end, so Marc let’s see, maybe for Liverpool, but both players will miss tomorrow’s game.”
The Eagles having won the first-ever silverware of the club on Saturday, could also make further history in SE25 as just one point in the next two games will see them reach 50, a record total in the Premier League-era, stretching back to 1992.
However, with that historic win in the bag and the celebrations which followed it, Glasner gave time off to the players who did not return to training until late on Monday afternoon.
“Let’s see how the players present, but always, number one, is that we want to play the best team and this will be the same for tomorrow,” said the Austrian coach about if he was going to give any first-choice players time off.
“We are always considering that we don’t take any risk of an injury [to a player], so this is what we now will see when the players come back after celebrating, after a very intense game against City. Then, we will find the right line-up for tomorrow.”
Guehi has racked up the second most minutes in the Premier League this season for Palace, with 3,059 played across 34 games. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson is top, having played every minute of all 36 games so far, 3,240.
PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD
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