Liverpool head into Sunday’s clash with Crystal Palace knowing exactly what to expect from our opponents, and their latest injury update gives us a clearer picture of the challenge ahead.
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY
While we’ve been dealing with our own major availability issues, the Eagles arrive at Anfield with a mix of good news and lingering concerns.
Palace handed boost ahead of Anfield trip
According to Liverpoolfc.com, Oliver Glasner has confirmed a key return that strengthens the visitors ahead of facing us.
The Palace manager said: “Adam is good. He is fit and trained yesterday without any issues so he’ll be available for Liverpool.”
That’s a notable boost for the London side, because Adam Wharton has been an important part of their midfield structure, and his presence will add control and composure in the centre of the pitch.
The Austrian coach also made it clear that, overall, his squad is in relatively stable condition heading into the weekend.
“All the others are the same so we’ve got no new injury concerns, which is good news.”
From our perspective, that suggests we’ll be facing close to a full-strength Palace side, which only increases the importance of being at our best.
Two confirmed absentees for Glasner’s side
Despite that boost, Glasner did confirm that two players will definitely miss the trip to Merseyside.
“Of course, two injuries we still have are Eddie Nketiah and Evann Guessand so they will miss this game.”
That removes some attacking options for the visitors, although Palace have still shown they can cause problems even without those players available.
There is also uncertainty surrounding former Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne, with the Palace boss admitting: “One question mark we have is Nathaniel Clyne…
“He’s being assessed at the moment. But hopefully he is available.”
Midfielder Cheick Doucoure also remains sidelined, having yet to feature this season, which slightly limits their depth in the middle of the park.
When you combine that with the fact we currently have the highest number of injuries in the Premier League and sweating on Alisson, the contrast in squad situations becomes clear.
That context matters, because while Palace arrive relatively settled, we’re still navigating one of the toughest injury periods in the division, making this fixture even more significant in our push for a top-five finish.