Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has given a worrying update on Matheus Franca’s fitness.
The 20-year-old striker, capped nine times at various youth levels for Brazil, was an incredibly exciting player £26 million signing for Palace when he arrived from Flamengo in the summer of 2023.
Franca arrived at Selhurst Park having scored nine goals in 54 appearances for the Scarlet-Black, winning the Copa Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil.
However, his time with Crystal Palace So far he has been completely derailed by injuries, with Franca first spending a long spell on the sidelines with a broken rib, while he is currently out with a groin problem.
Franca has played just 12 times for Palace so far, failing to score and providing just one assist. Only two of those appearances have come under Glasner, while he has yet to pitch this season.
Any hopes among Crystal Palace supporters that they might see Franca in action soon have been quashed by Glasner.
Indeed, it is highly unlikely that the Brazilian will feature for the remainder of 2024.
“It’s too far,” Glasner said (via reporter Bobby Water). “I don’t think he will play many games or even a game in 2024 for us. We expected Franca to return in two or three months and she is still out.”
Has Matheus Franca already played his last game with Glasner?
Palace finally got their first Premier League win of the season on Sunday, beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 thanks to a goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta.
However, this win still leaves them with just six points from nine games so far, just two points clear of the relegation zone.
Glasner remains under immense pressure and rumors persist that he may lose his job if the results do not improve soon.
With that in mind, there is every possibility that Franca has already played his last game with the Austrian coach.
