Will Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone Be Sidelined For The Remainder Of The Season
Is Crystal Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone set to miss the remainder of the season? Johnstone reportedly sustained a potentially season-ending injury while on international duty with England. He was sent home from the England camp ahead of their friendly against Belgium due to an elbow injury he suffered over the weekend.
With Crystal Palace showing improved results under Oliver Glasner and likely to stay in the Premier League next season, Johnstone had hoped to maintain his status as a backup goalkeeper for the England squad.
The 31-year-old reclaimed his place in Palace’s starting lineup under Glasner after initially being benched towards the end of Roy Hodgson’s tenure. In the four games since his return, Palace earned five points and secured a clean sheet against Burnley at Selhurst Park.
However, reports from the Evening Standard suggest that Johnstone’s injury may sideline him for the rest of the season, which could impact his chances of being selected for Gareth Southgate’s squad for the upcoming tournament in Germany. While Jordan Pickford remains the first-choice goalkeeper, Johnstone had been serving as the third-choice goalkeeper for England recently due to his performances at Palace.
Aaron Ramsdale remains the second-choice goalkeeper for the England squad, but there appears to be a potential battle for the final goalkeeping slot in Gareth Southgate’s squad.
James Trafford has been included in the current squad despite being dropped by Burnley last week, while Jack Butland is enjoying a successful season with title-contenders Rangers in Scotland.
At Crystal Palace, Sam Johnstone is set to be replaced by Dean Henderson, who himself may have aspirations of earning a place back in the squad after facing injury setbacks over the past two years.
If Johnstone doesn’t get much playing time until the end of the season, Southgate may be concerned about his match sharpness in case the unlikely situation arises where the third-choice goalkeeper is needed.
Despite throwing away two points late on against Luton Town in their last match, Palace remain eight points above the relegation zone, with morale high.
Oliver Glasner’s side returns to action against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday, with their hosts likely to be motivated after receiving a four-point deduction during the break.
A victory for Palace would extend their lead over the bottom three to 11 points with eight games remaining, significantly improving their chances of securing safety. However, Johnstone will join the likes of Marc Guehi and Michael Olise on the sidelines for that match.
Leave a Reply