- Crystal Palace receive good Richards news
- The USMNT defender has dealt with a knee problem
- His nation face Portugal on Wednesday
Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards has allayed fears over his fitness and suggested he will be in action for the United States men’s national team on Wednesday (April 1st). Mauricio Pochettino’s men face Portugal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Richards sat out the USA’s dismal 5-2 loss to Belgium in the first of their two international friendlies last Saturday (March 25th). He was ruled out due to a knee issue and didn’t take part in pre-match preparations.
News of the 26-year-old’s injury was a concern not just for his country but also his club. His first game when he returns to Selhurst Park will be against Fiorentina in the first leg of the Europa Conference League quarter-finals (April 9th).
Chris Richards is ‘Fine’
Richards was unable to earn his 36th cap for the USA against Belgium. But he seems fit and ready to do so against Portugal.
The Palace man gave an update on his status ahead of the game. He said (via The Athletic):
“I’m fine. I had a bad tackle in my last game with Palace, so just a little bit of knee pain, knee soreness, but I’ve been training individually all week and I’m available tomorrow.”
This is great news for Pochettino, who watched his side suffer a heavy defeat to the Belgians. They put in a dissapointing defensive performance and were second best throughout.
Oliver Glasner will also be relieved as he can continue to rely on the former Bayern Munich defender. He’s been a mainstay in the Eagles’ team this season, appearing 39 times across competitions, only missing three league games through a foot injury.
Richards Eager To Win Conference League
Richards is playing an important role in Palace’s debut European campaign and was in action during the 2-1 aggregate win over AEK Larnaca in the last 16. He is no stranger to European football having made three appearances in the Champions League while at Bayern.
The Eagles should be playing in the Europa League, but UEFA’s contentious multi-club ruling meant Glasner’s men were demoted to the third-tier competition. This came after winning the FA Cup last season.
Richards spoke about this after the decision was made and he insisted his team were fully focused on Conference League glory:
“It’s tough because we won the FA Cup but were all of a sudden relegated to the Conference League. Regardless we just have to go and tear that competition up. First time Europe has come to Selhurst Park so hopefully we can make it memorable.”
If Palace are to win the competition, they will have to get past Fiorentina in the quarter-finals. The first leg is at home, with the second leg taking place at Artemio Franchi Stadium on April 16th.
