Liverpool given boost as Glasner reveals key Palace absences

Liverpool will travel to Selhurst Park this weekend knowing Crystal Palace will be without several key players for their upcoming Premier League clash.

In his pre-match press conference, Palace boss Oliver Glasner confirmed that Cheick Doucoure, Caleb Kporha, and Chadi Riad will all miss the match, leaving his side short-handed in both midfield and defence.

Liverpool’s attacking concerns after Ekitike suspension

Reds head coach Arne Slot faces some big decisions in attack following Hugo Ekitike’s suspension. The forward was sent off in the midweek Carabao Cup victory over Southampton, ruling him out of this fixture.

With Ekitike unavailable, Alexander Isak is expected to lead the line. The Swedish striker, who scored his first goal for Liverpool in that cup tie, is likely to feature heavily against Palace.

Slot gave an update on Isak’s readiness, saying:

> “He’s ready to play again. I still think 90 minutes might be a stretch depending on the game’s tempo and intensity, but he’s further along in his pre-season now. Typically, after two or three weeks, players are ready for 60 to 70 minutes.”

In other news, young defender Giovanni Leoni has been ruled out for a year after suffering a serious ACL injury against Southampton—a major blow for the 18-year-old who recently joined from Parma.

Palace boosted by Sarr return but still stretched

Despite the injury setbacks, Palace are boosted by the return of Ismaila Sarr, who is back in contention after missing three matches. Glasner also confirmed that Yeremy Pino, who was taken off last weekend with a knee issue, is fit to play.

> “Sarr trained fully this week, just like Adam Wharton and Eddie Nketiah last week,” Glasner explained. “We only name players in the squad when we believe they’re ready to start.”

Even with these returns, Palace’s depth remains an issue due to the confirmed absences of Doucoure, Kporha, and Riad.

This could give Liverpool an edge as they aim to maintain their strong start to the 2025/26 campaign and build on last season’s Premier League title-winning success.