Crystal Palace injury news: Huge Adam Wharton, Chris Richards update from Oliver Glasner before Conference League final

Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has provided a positive update on the fitness of Adam Wharton and Chris Richards ahead of Wednesday’s Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano.

Star midfielder Wharton sustained a knock to his ankle during Sunday’s Premier League final-day defeat against Arsenal and was later substituted as a precaution.

Richards, meanwhile, picked up an ankle problem of his own in the 2-2 draw with Brentford just over a week ago, and the centre-back was not involved against the Gunners.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday ahead of Palace’s first ever European final in Leipzig, Glasner confirmed that both players have taken part in training, but a late call will be made on their availability.

"I don't want to tell you yet if they can start or not, but they were available today in training and that's a good sign,” Glasner told reporters.

Crystal Palace vs. Rayo Vallecano: Wharton, Richards take part in training

“We still have 36 hours before the game and the medical department will work hard [to get them ready]. They will work hard until late into the night.

"At the end of the day, we will nominate the starting XI who are 100% fit.”

"I will talk to them again tomorrow morning and if the player doesn't feel 100% fit, then they won't start,” Glasner added.

"They have pain, but I think many of the players have pain at the end of a long season. Everybody wants to participate, so the final decision will be taken tomorrow.

"I definitely know we will start with 11, and a different 11 will end the game. We need every single player ready to help the team."

Both Wharton and Richards have played regularly for Palace in the Conference League en route to the final, with the former featuring in 13 of the club’s 14 fixtures and the latter starting 11 of those games.

Glasner wants Europa League football for Palace next season

After steering Palace to FA Cup and Community Shield glory in 2025, Glasner is hoping to end his successful spell as the club’s manager on a high with a European triumph in his final match before leaving in the summer.

Glasner has history of success in European competition, having previously won the Europa League as Eintracht Frankfurt boss in 2022.

On the prospect of winning another European trophy, Glasner said: “No, I don’t know why, but I don't think like this.

“I told the players today – I don't like to say what I'm telling the players – but it was yesterday they had a nice farewell to me, and then I said a few words, I said: for me the best thing would be of course winning tomorrow, but not for winning tomorrow, but because then they’d play European football in the Europa League next year and then they would get next year what we should have got this year.

“I said I would like to watch on TV that they’d start the Europa League with the desire and the confidence that they could win the Europa League as well. This would make me really happy, because then I think we created a mindset all together where at the end it's always successful.

“That doesn't mean that you win a trophy every single year, but at the end, you will always get the best out of every single player and every single team, and that's why I hope that we win tomorrow, and that these players can play European football next year again.”

While Crystal Palace beat Shakhtar Donetsk 5-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals, Rayo Vallecano are also gearing up for their first European final after beating Strasbourg - who topped the 36-team League Phase - 2-0 over two legs.