Crystal Palace's Premier League campaign has been both frustrating and uninspiring, with the fans becoming tired of the lack of excitement each week.
The Eagles' 3-1 home defeat to Chelsea on Monday handed them their 12th loss of the season after 24 games, with Roy Hodgson's side firmly placed in 15th with just 24 points to their name.
According to The Guardian, the 76-year-old boss is set to step down from his role as manager, and unfortunately, he won't be in the dugout next Monday as he was taken ill on Thursday. Thankfully, the Palace legend is understood to be in a stable condition following the incident.
Palace reportedly already have their replacement in line, with former Eintracht Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner set to lead the club towards top-flight safety after signing a contract until 2026 with an option to extend for another year.
Eintracht Frankfurt's former boss took them to European glory and the Champions League while also solidifying them as a top side in the Bundesliga, and Palace will hope he can deliver similar feats at the club.
However, the Austrian must get to know his squad extremely quickly if the club is to see a sudden upturn in form, and this season will be solely focused on achieving the goal of survival, with the summer months being the time to reevaluate his charges.
With that in mind, let's take a look at three players who have featured heavily this season that Glasner could look to send packing from Selhurst Park…
1 Nathaniel Clyne
Nathaniel Clyne has been a useful squad player this season, filling in for Joel Ward when he's been injured and also notably slotting in at left-back against former club Liverpool for the injured Tyrick Mitchell.
However, the 32-year-old hasn't exactly impressed during his ten appearances, with the right-back ranking in the bottom 10%, 1%, and 33% for progressive passes, shot-creating actions, and tackles won in the Premier League this season, as per FBref.
The January signing of Daniel Munoz further pushes Clyne down the pecking order, and with his contract up in the summer, Glasner could let him walk on a free.
2 Will Hughes
Will Hughes is another player who hasn't been terrible this season, but he isn't a starting player who will help lead Palace up the table on a long-term scale.
The 28-year-old has played 19 games this season, and his off-the-ball work is important to the Palace side, as he registers the second-most tackles in the squad, 2.1.
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However, with Glasner's preferred formation being a 3-4-2-1, it is difficult to see him playing a big role over Adam Wharton, Jefferson Lerma, or Cheick Doucoure when he returns.
3 Jean-Philippe Mateta
Palace have only scored 27 goals this season, with the lack of a clinical striker holding the side back.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has played 21 games for the Eagles this season, but he's only scored three league goals and provided three assists. His 16 goals in 92 matches for the club further prove that he's not the reliable striker that the club needs.
Football pundit Dean Ashton went as far as calling the 26-year-old "dreadful" for one performance versus Manchester United last season, and a new striker will be on the top of Glasner's wishlist in the summer, having worked with elite forward Randal Kolo-Muani recently.







