Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner provides Adam Wharton injury update

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has confirmed that Adam Wharton is fit to play in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Wharton was a doubt for the Wembley showpiece after an ankle injury picked up in the Premier League draw with Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago.

The England midfielder missed Palace's win over Tottenham having limped off against Forest, but Glasner has confirmed he'll be back for the clash with Manchester City, and that he now has a selection headache.

"It's positive team news, everybody is fit," said Glasner in his pre-match press conference. "Adam trained the whole week and is available and all the others are fit.

"There are some tough decisions to take, but good decisions to take."

The news is a welcome boost to Palace's hopes of FA Cup glory. It took Palace nine games to pick up their first win of the season, but with Wharton subsequently undergoing groin surgery, the Eagles struggled in the 21-year-old's three-month absence.

Palace's best run of form coincided with Wharton's return, winning four out of five games, including a 2-0 win at Old Trafford and a 4-1 win over Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace's last FA Cup final saw them take on Manchester United in 2016. This time they're facing United's rivals, who should pose an even sterner test, but Glasner insists they won't be overawed by the occasion or their opponents.

"We focussed on what we want to do tomorrow at Wembley, we analysed Manchester City, but 90 percent we were talking about us because this is what we can influence.

"We can influence our performance, we can influence what we want to do in and ot of possession. The focus was on our game, and maybe having one or two small adjustments, because the players did very well in the last couple of weeks.

“We have a lot of confidence and are looking forward to the final.”

Liam Williams

• Crystal Palace F.C.
• FA Cup
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