Crystal Palace may have to start teenager goalkeeper Joe Whitworth against Arsenal on Sunday, with Vicente Guaita’s fitness in the balance.
The Evening Standard report that Crystal Palace face a wait to see whether or not Vicente Guaita will be available to play against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The goalkeeper suffered a hamstring injury in training this week, but the Premier League side don’t know how serious it is yet.
“He had an injury after training on Tuesday and we need to wait 24-48 hours to see,” head coach Patrick Vieira said.
Teenager Joe Whitworth on standby for Guaita’s absence
Sam Johnstone is also out of action with a calf issue, leaving academy goalkeeper Joe Whitworth to start against Brighton on Wednesday. It looks as though Whitworth might be needed again at the weekend.
In fairness, the teenager did well on his debut against Brighton, only conceding once in their 1-0 defeat.
“Joe has a really strong personality,” Vieira said. “He has the self-belief, the calmness that allowed him to perform the way he did.
“He showed a lot of good things and it is even more special because he is a young player who came through the academy. To play his first professional game in a derby is good for him.
“He understands the pressure and understands the game really well. He looked really calm, composed, made a lot of good decisions, and for a first game there was a lot of positives.”
Arsenal face resilient Crystal Palace defence
Arsenal won’t be taking anything for granted regardless of which goalkeeper is in Palace’s starting lineup, especially with Whitworth showing he’s not just going to fall apart in a senior game.
The goalkeeper is just one part of a defensive unit, and despite Palace’s poor form, they’ve generally had a strong record at the back.
They’ve only conceded more than once on one occasion in their last 10 games, when they let two in against Manchester United.
They held City, Brighton, and Chelsea to a single goal, among others, and kept clean sheets against Newcastle United and Liverpool.
They’ll set out to frustrate Arsenal this weekend, and Mikel Arteta’s side will need to be at their best to get the win.