Oliver Glasner has now departed Crystal Palace, but Mauricio Pochettino has been left angered by one of the Austrian’s final acts.
The Argentine is currently preparing the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) for the start of the World Cup, but is having to do so without Chris Richards.
The Crystal Palace No.26 could well miss the beginning of the tournament due to the ankle injury he suffered in the recent 2-2 draw at Brentford, and Pochettino has now criticised the Eagles for misleading him over the severity of the problem.
What was your favourite part about the trip to Leipzig? 🇩🇪
Mauricio Pochettino accuses Crystal Palace of downplaying Chris Richards injury
Speaking in a press conference on Friday, the former Tottenham boss admitted the fact Glasner put Richards on the bench – and also spoke encouragingly about the ankle injury ahead of the UEFA Conference League final – misled him over the severity of the situation.
The Guardian quote Pochettino as saying: “There was a line of information where we were thinking that he could play that final against Rayo Vallecano in Conference League. He was on the bench of subs, you remember? After that [we thought] he could maybe be [involved] against Senegal.
“In the end, the timelines [are] lengthening and [it] angers me a bit. I’m not happy, because we know Chris Richards is an important player. Of course we all know it.”
When asked about Richards and Adam Wharton ahead of that historic 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano, Glasner said: “They were available today in training and that’s a good sign. We still have 36 hours before the game and the medical department will work hard [to get them ready].”
Wharton ended up starting the match, but Richards was an unused substitute.
It sounds like Pochettino merely presumed the United States international would be available after Glasner named him on the bench, but he cannot point the finger at Crystal Palace when it seems as if he failed to do his own due diligence on the situation beyond that.
Where do you think we can finish in the UEFA Europa League next season after victory in Leipzig? 🤔
If Nottingham Forest can reach the last four while in a relegation battle, surely we can at least make the final? 👀
Of course, we hope Richards is fit to feature in the lucrative World Cup in his homeland – which he deserves after an outstanding 2025/26 campaign – but Pochettino only has himself to blame for thinking the situation was more encouraging than it actually is.
