Crystal Palace’s summer recruitment appears to have addressed one of the squad’s biggest weaknesses from last season. The club added 11 players after injuries and international absences exposed the lack of reliable alternatives behind the first-choice XI, and manager Pierre Sage now has more scope to rotate his team ahead of a campaign that includes eight guaranteed Europa League matches.
That depth was on display in Tuesday’s 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Middlesbrough. Only Yeremy Pino was a regular from last season in the starting line-up, while seven of the starters were new arrivals. The performance lacked cohesion at times, particularly before half-time, but Oscar Mingueza and Ben Chilwell supplied crosses for Jorgen Strand Larsen to score twice with headers.
Palace have also lost important players. Maxence Lacroix joined Chelsea for £52 million, while Daniel Munoz moved to Nottingham Forest for £22 million. Lacroix had become an accomplished centre-back and an influential presence in the dressing room, while Munoz was a significant part of Palace’s success under Oliver Glasner. Their departures leave questions, particularly in central defence and on the right side.
The replacements offer some encouragement. Axel Disasi, on loan from Chelsea, brings experience and leadership, while Takehiro Tomiyasu has considerable pedigree, although his injury history could limit his availability. Honest Ahanor impressed against Middlesbrough with a forward run that helped create the opening goal. Palace also have more wing-back alternatives, with Mingueza and Chilwell both making an attacking impact.
The new arrivals have not necessarily strengthened the strongest possible starting XI, which was already good enough to compete with most Premier League opponents when fit. Dario Osorio and Zavier Gozo are viewed as players who could develop into regulars, while Osorio has shown individual quality despite struggling to influence the Middlesbrough game. The right-sided attacking role could also depend on how Ismaila Sarr responds after being denied a move away.
Palace are therefore not without concerns, especially at centre-back, but their squad should be less vulnerable when key players are unavailable. The added depth gives Sage more ways to manage the workload and could help the club avoid the collapse that followed last season’s injuries, fixture congestion and Sarr’s absence at the Africa Cup of Nations.
