Oliver Glasner is hopeful Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi will play again this season, but he will not be ready for Saturday’s trip to Fulham.
Guehi has not featured under the Eagles’ Austrian coach after he suffered a knee injury away to Brighton at the start of February, with Glasner taking charge later that month. The injury also meant Guehi missed out on crucial minutes for England during the March international break, but he could return for the visit of Manchester United on May 6.
“He did parts of the sessions this week, but our sessions are 35 minutes. When we play Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday, it is just recovery sessions,” Glasner revealed after Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Newcastle.
“We expect him (fully) back with the team next week and then let’s see how he feels. We don’t want to risk anything but it can be that he is in the squad against Man United. Let’s see.
“We want him to play minutes in this season but always the health of the player is most important. We never risk anything.”
Palace lost four of the first eight fixtures the 23-year-old former Chelsea player missed, but have started to click under Glasner.
Notable wins over Liverpool and West Ham this month were backed up on Wednesday with a fine display against Newcastle, which ended 2-0 after another Jean-Philippe Mateta brace. Glasner has urged his team to make it four wins in a row at Fulham but paid tribute to their continued commitment to his style of football.
He added: “I told you when I arrived we are no magicians. We can just encourage them and it is getting that quality out on the pitch.”
“I also have to say thank you to the players for the trust they gave us from day number one because we changed many things, but they were always listening.
“They were always working hard and believing in what we were telling them. Yes, it is great to see how the players can play.”
Defeat for Newcastle damaged their prospects of securing European football for next season, but a small positive was the return of striker Callum Wilson as a substitute. It was Wilson’s first appearance in two months and Eddie Howe knows his availability could be key in their pursuit of a top-six finish.
“He is huge. He is a big player for us and to have that option from the bench was a rare luxury for me, to have a striker that can make a difference,” Howe said.
“I think he improved our performance. I thought he did well, he looked fresh, looked strong and he has come through no problems, so that is a big lift for us.”