Many Crystal Palace fans were left in panic mode after Adam Wharton was nowhere to be seen, as Pierre Sage named his side for the friendly against Swindon Town.
The Eagles fielded two totally different lineups in each half when recording a 5-1 win over Ian Holloway’s League Two outfit, but the Crystal Palace No.20 did not feature in either side.
With Chelsea trying to sign Maxence Lacroix and allegedly Wharton as well this summer, there were some fears that his absence could be related to an exit from Selhurst Park – although Bobby Manzi of the Daily Mail can now confirm that this is not the case.
Thoughts on the win over Swindon? 🤔
Joel Drakes-Thomas was absolutely fantastic ⭐️
Adam Wharton missed Crystal Palace win due to ankle problem
The respected journalist revealed on X (previously known as Twitter) that the England international was absent due to an ankle injury.
Wharton was still present at Copers Cope and watched the game from a balcony at the Academy.
The injury must have only happened in the last few days, as the 22-year-old was spotted in action during Sage’s first training session after Crystal Palace released footage earlier this week.
Wharton suffered a knock to his ankle in the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal on the final day of the Premier League season, and played through the pain during his Man of the Match display against Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final.
It would appear to be a recurrence of that injury, but it remains to be seen how long the former Blackburn midfielder will be sidelined for.
More to follow on We Are Palace…
