Crystal Palace: Oliver Glasner makes Eddie Nketiah admission with response to injury claim

Crystal Palace: Oliver Glasner makes Eddie Nketiah admission with response to injury claim

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has taken responsibility for Eddie Nketiah’s injury as his list of absentees grows.

Rumours during the week suggested the former Arsenal striker, who moved to Selhurst Park on a five-year deal for a reported £30 million fee in August, had suffered a hamstring injury while working with a private trainer, but Glasner dismissed those claims.

"I heard about it and I talked to Eddie after the game, and he mentioned that he feels a little bit his hamstring, then we made a scan and we saw it's a bit more serious than expected,” the Crystal Palace boss said.

"I always trust my players, so why should I trust a strange source more than my player? So I talked to Eddie and it's fine."

Glasner also outlined where he think he went wrong, and how Nketiah suffered the injury.

“I know Eddie played the last two games, at Villa he was the guy who was sprinting most on the pitch,” he said.

"So I think it's my mistake, my fault that I didn't sub him earlier in the Wolves game because he was sprinting again, so in the Wolves and in the Tottenham game we were the number one in high-intensity runs in the Premier League, and this was in three days.

"I think I should have subbed him a little bit earlier, and he felt it during the game, something in his hamstring, but he was fighting for the team until almost the end of the game. Now he has problems with his hamstring and let's see how long it will take."

The absence of Nketiah is just the latest blow for a struggling Palace side, who currently find themselves in 17th place.

Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton, Jefferson Lerma, Chadi Riad and Matheus Franca will all miss the visit of Fulham on Saturday through injury, while Will Hughes is suspended after collecting five yellow cards.

With Nketiah and Eze both out, Jean-Philippe Mateta is set to lead the line for the Eagles, who have scored just eight goals in their 10 Premier League games so far this season.