🚨 Crystal Palace Suffer Key Injury Blow Ahead of Carabao Cup Clash with Liverpool
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed a significant injury setback ahead of his side’s Carabao Cup encounter with Liverpool at Anfield tomorrow evening.
The Austrian coach revealed that Chris Richards, one of Palace’s most consistent performers this season, will miss the trip due to a minor calf problem.
“We have just one concern: Chris Richards is dealing with a minor calf issue, so he won’t be making the trip to Liverpool tomorrow,” Glasner told reporters, as quoted by Liverpool.com.
The absence of Richards, who has played every Premier League minute for the Eagles this season, comes as a major blow to Glasner’s plans. The American defender has been a cornerstone of Palace’s backline and a leader in their impressive early-season performances.
Despite the setback, Glasner insisted that the rest of his squad is fit and ready.
“All other players are fit and have recovered well. The team demonstrated at the Emirates that they are in good shape and were pushing for an equalizer until the final whistle, so things look promising,” he added.
Palace will head into the clash looking to deepen Liverpool’s current struggles. Arne Slot’s men have lost four consecutive Premier League matches, including a 3–2 defeat to Brentford last weekend, and will be desperate for a response.
Notably, it was Palace who sparked Liverpool’s downturn in form earlier this month, when they defeated the reigning champions 2–1 at Selhurst Park.
With Richards sidelined, Palace will rely on players like Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaila Sarr, and Adam Wharton to exploit a Liverpool defense that has looked shaky in recent weeks. The Reds have failed to keep a clean sheet since their 1–0 victory over Burnley in mid-September, and questions remain over Arne Slot’s defensive setup.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté have struggled to find rhythm together, while full-back options remain uncertain — Milos Kerkez has yet to impress since his summer move from Bournemouth, and Jeremie Frimpong remains sidelined with injury.
For Liverpool, the Carabao Cup offers a valuable opportunity to restore confidence and potentially secure mid-season silverware, while Crystal Palace will aim to cause another upset — this time on Merseyside.
Kick-off at Anfield is set for Wednesday evening, with both sides under pressure to deliver a result.
