Adam Wharton rejoined Crystal Palace training on Tuesday morning, easing a late fitness concern ahead of Wednesday night’s Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig.
Wharton’s return came alongside team-mate Chris Richards, who had missed last week’s sessions after sustaining an ankle injury during Palace’s 2-2 draw with Brentford. The double return gives Palace a boost after a tense build-up to what will be the club’s first European final.
The question of both players’ availability had been acute. Wharton was briefly introduced as a second-half substitute against Arsenal last weekend but was taken off soon after after injuring his ankle in a coming together with Myles Lewis-Skelly. Richards had been absent from training following the ankle problem suffered in the draw with Brentford.
Both players joining training on Tuesday morning left Palace looking set to have a near fully-fit squad available for selection for Wednesday’s match in Germany. That would give manager Oliver Glasner the widest possible choice for a game that carries immediate reward: Palace can win a third trophy in 12 months after lifting the FA Cup and the Community Shield.
Glasner, who guided Palace to their first major trophy by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final last May, rotated his side against Arsenal last weekend with one eye on the trip to Leipzig. The changes underlined the priority placed on the Conference League final and the desire to arrive in Germany with the strongest group possible.
The timing of the injuries sharpened the pressure. Richards’s ankle problem came in a 2-2 draw that had already unsettled preparations, and Wharton’s brief appearance and swift substitution against Arsenal left Palace staff and supporters uneasy until Tuesday’s training session.
Those concerns have now been partly answered by the sight of both men back at the training ground. Palace officials signalled relief that the core of their squad had recovered in time to travel, and Glasner looks likely to take charge of his final game as Palace manager on Wednesday night.
The result in Leipzig will carry extra weight for Glasner and the players. A win would complete a remarkable 12 months for Palace with a third piece of silverware to add to the FA Cup and Community Shield, while defeat would leave the club short of continental silverware despite reaching its first European final.
For Wharton and Richards, Tuesday’s training is the last clear test before a selection call. Their involvement gives Palace the best chance to field a near fully-fit side, and it hands Glasner the options he shaped by changing his lineup against Arsenal to focus on the final.
With Wednesday’s kick-off hours away, the simple fact is this: Wharton and Richards are fit enough to train, Palace look set to travel with almost all their squad, and Oliver Glasner will almost certainly lead the team one last time as they chase another trophy in Leipzig.
