Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has admitted that Adam Wharton may not be ready to start when the Eagles face Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. The 20-year-old midfielder has been battling a chest infection and was only fit enough to play the final 30 minutes of Thursday’s 3-1 Europa Conference League win over AZ Alkmaar.
Glasner revealed that Wharton trained earlier in the week but remains short of full sharpness.
“I don’t know [if he will start], he’s still feeling his chest, he’s not completely free from the illness. Sometimes you need to cough it out — I hope this will happen now and let’s see,” Glasner said.
The Austrian coach explained that Wharton’s cameo against AZ was part of a fitness plan to help the midfielder regain rhythm ahead of the weekend. “It was good for him to play 30 minutes,” Glasner added. “He felt a bit rusty at the beginning, but he improved as the game went on. If it’s enough to start against Brighton, I don’t know at the moment.”
Guehi and Sarr Also Monitored
Palace will also assess the fitness of Marc Guehi and Ismaila Sarr before Sunday’s derby. Guehi experienced discomfort towards the end of the win over AZ, while Sarr — who was withdrawn after 65 minutes — continues to manage a minor hamstring issue.
Glasner expressed optimism that both will recover in time, describing their conditions as “precautionary.” The manager has been rotating heavily in recent weeks to avoid overloading players amid a busy schedule.
Lacroix Feeling the Strain
Goalscorer Maxence Lacroix, who opened the scoring against AZ, admitted post-match that fatigue is beginning to set in after a demanding start to the campaign. Glasner acknowledged the workload but insisted that the squad cannot afford to ease off with limited recovery time.
“We have very little time for training,” Glasner said. “It’s always which topic we prefer — we can’t train defence, attack, set plays, and transitions all at once. We prioritise, and at the moment, we’re focusing on set plays because we know they can win us games.”
The manager added that he’s had to carefully balance intensity levels in training to avoid further knocks. “We have to be careful the players don’t sprint too much in training because they have to sprint in the game,” he explained.
Our View — Smart Rotation in a Tight Window
In our view, Glasner’s measured approach to workload management is exactly what Palace need right now. With European commitments stretching the squad, ensuring players like Wharton and Sarr recover fully is essential for maintaining consistency. It looks likely that Wharton will feature from the bench again against Brighton, with Guehi and Sarr returning to the XI if they clear late fitness checks.
Key Insights
- Big takeaway: Wharton remains doubtful for Brighton after illness, though Guehi and Sarr are expected to feature.
- Manager’s stance: Glasner balancing training intensity to manage fatigue.
- Fitness focus: Wharton played 30 minutes vs AZ to rebuild sharpness.
- Positive note: No new injuries reported post-AZ Alkmaar win.
- Fixture watch: Brighton visit Selhurst Park on Sunday.
What’s Next
Palace return to Premier League action at Selhurst Park against Brighton on 9 November. Glasner is expected to provide final updates during Saturday’s press conference. Victory would see Palace climb back into the top half of the table — provided their key men recover in time.
👉 Palace fans — should Glasner rest Wharton again or throw him straight into the Brighton derby?
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