Crystal Palace could be handed a double injury boost with a new update on the fitness of Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze provided ahead of the Everton clash.
Crystal Palace are braced for change, with Roy Hodgson’s tenure as manager likely to soon end with Oliver Glasner in place to take charge of the squad.
The primary concern surrounding Selhurst Park is the wellbeing of Hodgson, who is recovering after being taken ill during a training session last Thursday.
After what was a difficult week for the club surrounding the 76-year-old’s health, journalist Sami Mokbel provided the Eagles with a positive update on the manager and the fitness of his squad via The Daily Mail.
Crystal Palace injury update on Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi
Mokbel opened his Crystal Palace roundup by reassuring fans on the status of Hodgson, relaying that the veteran coach is ‘feeling better now’.
There’s an understanding that tonight’s fixture against Everton is likely to be Hodgson’s final game in charge of the club, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that Glasner is set to be unveiled this week.
The uplifting news on the boss’ health wasn’t the only positive news that The Daily Mail reported, with the Eagles edging closer to having two key players fit and ready to play.
It’s said that Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi are ‘close to returns’ in what will be a significant boost for the south Londoners.
Losing Eze and Michael Olise to respective hamstring injuries and Guehi to a knee problem was detrimental to Palace’s recent form, with the trio integral to the squad’s success.
How important the return of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi is to Palace
While Olise remains out of action due to the recurrence of his hamstring woes, Glasner could have two key players available soon after he is set to take charge.
The impact of Eze is clear whenever he is on the pitch for the Eagles, highlighted by his creativity that so often makes the difference in Hodgson’s XI.
No Crystal Palace player averages more key passes per game in the Premier League this season than the Englishman, who averages a monstrous 2.1 per game to the delight of his teammates, via WhoScored.
Despite Eze’s presence being so influential, he’s arguably not the club’s biggest miss with statistics revealing just how important Guehi is to the defence.
As portrayed by Sky Sports, a lot of Palace’s form is attributable to the central defensive pairing of Guehi and Joachim Andersen.
In 83 games with the duo present, the Eagles have a win percentage of 31.7% by recording 26 wins, a figure that significantly decreases when one of the pair is absent.
Without one of the partnership, the squad’s win rate alarmingly drops to just 12.5% with only two wins recorded from 16 games when the combination in central defence is disconnected.
Having Guehi and Eze back will be a weighty advantage for the new manager and for Palace, who are in desperate need of building some form as the season heats up.
