Crystal Palace boss admits fatigue and injury issues now even worse ahead of Newcastle United match

Oliver Glasner and his Crystal Palace squad went into last night’s match against Fulham with severe fatigue and injury issues, with the match at Newcastle United to follow less than 72 hours later.

Palace managed to take a 39th minute lead, despite Fulham having been the better team.

Then during the second half, the visitors became ever more dominant as Crystal Palace visibly tired, Fulham getting an equaliser through Cairney and they should have won the match.

Fulham manager Marco Silva admitted after the match that they had expected Crystal Palace to be fatigued and be vulnerable as the game progressed, the home side having so many matches to play and such a long list of missing players.

Having lost four of their last five matches (the exception a 2-2 home draw against Finnish minnows KUIPS), Oliver Glasner was just grateful to not have lost another game, Crystal Palace only had one effort on target, other than their goal.

The Crystal Palace boss admitting just how badly fatigue and missing players are hitting his players and it remains to be seen who he feels he can risk against a Newcastle United team who have had two days more recovery time.

Oliver Glasner now seeing at least ten players set to be unavailable for the Newcastle United match, as Will Hughes was forced off last night inside an hour: “Will just felt fatigue everywhere around the hip, once it was the hamstring, then it was the adductor, then it was the thighs…we have to assess him further but of course we hope that we won’t miss him in the next game, because I think nobody will return [from the injury list] for the Newcastle United game and we need him.”

Assessing last night’s match overall, Oliver Glasner pointing out the reality of their current situation: “I think that as long as the legs were fresh, we played absolutely okay. We know that with everything, the amount of games and the number of fit players we have, that we are a little bit in a survival mode…Everybody could see and feel it, that the legs are getting fatigued and the mind is getting fatigued.”

These are the ten Crystal Palace players who look set to be missing against Newcastle United:

Will Hughes (To be assessed)

Chris Richards (Foot injury)

Daniel Munoz (Knee injury)

Chadi Riad Dnanou (Knee injury)

Ismaila Sarr (African Cup of Nations)

Eddie Nketiah (Muscle injury)

Cheick Doucoure (Knee injury)

Daichi Kamada (Hamstring injury)

Rio Cardines (Muscle injury)

Caleb Kporha (Back injury)

Crystal Palace have Newcastle United away on Sunday, then Villa at home, before an FA Cup game three days after that.

Oliver Glasner declaring: “We have three more games to play in the next nine days and I can promise we will give our best in every single game.”

The reality of course is that whilst his team will of course give their best, that won’t stop fatigue and an increase in the likelihood of even more injuries, if he overplays tired players.

When Newcastle United found themselves at the worst of their own shocking injury (and Sandro Tonali suspension) crisis during the 2023/24 season, having to play the same players pretty much every match, midweek and weekend, eventually is unsustainable and United had a terrible time from December 2023 into January 2024, before getting some players back  of course during that time, bowing out of both the Champions League and Carabao Cup, so fewer matches to play.

Newcastle United still have their own numerous injury issues but that is hopefully set to improve, on top of the fact Pope, Joelinton and Wissa were able to start at Burnley.

The Crystal Palace fatigue and lack of players has to be absolutely taken advantage of on Sunday at St James’ Park.