Oliver Glasner has played down suggestions that Crystal Palace are 'suspicious' about the hamstring injury sustained by Eddie Nketiah and has instead taken responsibility for the striker's setback.
Following his £25m summer transfer from Arsenal, Nketiah has endured a somewhat frustrating start to life at Palace, failing to score or assist in any of his seven Premier League appearances while being used in a variety of different forward positions.
Nketiah's only goal for his new club came in September when he netted in Palace's 2-1 away win over Queens Park Rangers in the third round of the EFL Cup.
The 25-year-old has now suffered an injury setback and will miss Saturday's Premier League encounter at home to fellow London club Fulham due to a hamstring problem.
A report from the Daily Mail that emerged on Thursday claims that Palace are 'investigating' and 'verifying the origins' of Nketiah's injury, as there are 'suspicions' the problem was sustained during a session away from the club's training schedule.
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Palace boss Glasner addresses Nketiah injury
Nketiah is said to have picked up his hamstring injury during a private session with a personal performance specialist which has left Palace 'deeply concerned'.
However, Glasner has insisted that there is no truth to that report and that he must shoulder the blame for Nketiah's injury after admitting that he should have substituted the striker earlier during last weekend's 2-2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Addressing the report at a press conference on Friday, Glasner said: "I heard about it and I talked to him. He mentioned after the game he felt his hamstring a little bit.
"Then he had a scan and it was more serious than we expected. I always trust my players, why should I trust a strange source more than my player? I talked to Eddie and it's fine."
Glasner added: "At [Aston] Villa, Eddie was the guy who was sprinting the most on the pitch in 83 minutes. I think it's my mistake: it's my fault that I didn't substitute him earlier in the Wolves game, because he was sprinting again.
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"In the Wolves and the Tottenham games, we were the number one in high intensity runs in the Premier League. I think I should have subbed him a little bit earlier.
"He felt it during the game, something in his hamstring, but he was fighting for the team until almost the end of the game. Now he has problems with his hamstring, and let's see how long it will take."
Palace injury crisis worsens with Nketiah blow
Nketiah is the latest Palace player to enter a packed treatment room that also includes Eberechi Eze, Jefferson Lerma, Chadi Riad, Matheus Franca and Adam Wharton, the latter of whom had groin surgery last week.
"We have suffered several injuries," Glasner told reporters. "Let's start with the long-term: Chadi Riad and [Matheus] Franca are still out.
"Then it's Eberechi Eze who is still out, Adam Wharton after his surgery is still out, Jefferson Lerma is still out, and Eddie Nketiah is out with a hamstring injury."
Glasner's "tight squad" will also be without the presence of Will Hughes against Fulham, as the midfielder will serve a one-match suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Oliver Thomas
