SAKA, ANTONY AND 10 PREMIER LEAGUE STARS HEADING TO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
One thing us Crystal Palace fans aren’t really used to having is depth across the squad – quality depth, for what it’s worth.
When a member of the starting XI gets injured, it has often been a rarity to see someone as competent as them step into the side.
However, our midfield now represents the exact opposite of that.
Following a busy summer, Patrick Vieira can now call upon Will Hughes and Conor Gallagher to add to his existing options.
That means the Frenchman has Luka Milivojevic, James McArthur, Jaïro Riedewald, Cheikhou Kouyate, Jeffrey Schlupp, Ebere Eze, Hughes and Gallagher to choose from for three positions in his 4-3-3 system.
In our view, the new faces in midfield could spell bad news for Schlupp.
Why might Jeffrey Schlupp suffer?
Well, the £12m man may actually become a victim of his own versatility.
Impressively, Schlupp is able to operate at left-back, centre-midfield, and also in both wide attacking areas.
However, that means he’s been unable to nail down one position for himself, as he’s often moved around the field.
Most of his starts under Roy Hodgson came in the centre of midfield, although Vieira will surely opt for specialists in that role such as Hughes or Gallagher, over a utility man who hasn’t spent his entire career in that position.
Of course, Schlupp will still see plenty of action, as he’s an energetic figure who drives us up the pitch like few other players can.
Having said that, we don’t expect to see the Ghanaian starting many games under Vieira, due to the influx of midfield arrivals.
