Glasner Provides Updates on Wharton Surgery, Injury Status, and Team’s Winning Ambitions

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner addressed the media ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Wolves, scheduled for 17:30 GMT. The following are the principal points from his press conference: Glasner announced that midfielder Adam Wharton is set to undergo surgery for an ongoing groin problem. “He tried [to train] today but there’s too much pain and it makes no sense. He’s really struggled the last weeks and months and so now we took the decision he will have surgery, and we hope to have him back after, let’s say, four weeks.” Right-back Joel Ward will be unavailable for the trip to Wolves, though his injury is “not serious” and he is expected to be fit for the match against Fulham. Midfielder Jefferson Lerma, however, will be sidelined “at least until the international break.” The manager offered encouraging news regarding midfielder Cheick Doucoure, who has been recovering from a long-term achilles issue, and defender Chris Richards, who has been dealing with a hamstring problem. “Cheick Doucoure will be back in the squad maybe earlier than we expected. Next week Chris Richards should train with us if everything goes the right way, and that’s the positive news.” Glasner maintains an optimistic outlook despite the current injury situation. “We’re still a strong squad. We could also win at Villa because it was 1-1 when Adam and Ebs left the pitch, and we could win it. This gives us confidence in every single player, and so we go to Wolverhampton to win this game.” Discussing the team’s aim to build on their midweek Carabao Cup victory over Aston Villa, Glasner stated: “We don’t complain about injuries, we don’t complain about that playing during the week. The easiest way would have been to lose the first game in the EFL Cup against Norwich City [in the second round], but we want to play this cup. The players did really great at Villa and so we want to continue this winning streak.”