Matheus Franca will miss Crystal Palace’s midweek Premier League clash against Aston Villa as he continues his recovery. The striker hasn’t played in the top flight since March 2024.
Since joining the club in the 2023-24 season, the Brazilian has struggled with multiple injuries, keeping him sidelined.
He recently played 60 minutes for the U21s and made a brief FA Cup appearance against Doncaster, raising hopes of a full return. However, with three games in seven days, limited training opportunities have slowed his comeback.
“He won’t be in the squad tomorrow,” said Glasner. “We didn’t train properly yesterday, and today was just activation.”
Palace have a full training session planned for Wednesday ahead of the FA Cup tie against Millwall. Glasner expects Franca to benefit from that, plus the upcoming Marbella trip, which includes a friendly match.
With Palace’s game against Newcastle postponed and an international break ahead, Franca will have extra time to regain full fitness before April’s fixtures.
“It’s not about coming back early—it’s about staying fit for the rest of the season,” Glasner added. “We’re ensuring he returns at his best.”
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