Oliver Glasner was pleased to hand Adam Wharton his first minutes in a Crystal Palace shirt since October.
Wharton made a late appearance in the Eagles’ 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday and was instrumental in the build-up to Palace’s second goal, winning the ball in midfield before finding Ismaila Sarr.
Alongside his contribution to Mateta’s 89th-minute finish, Wharton won a tackle and both of his duels during his eleven-minute cameo.
Following his first outing since groin surgery in November, Eagles boss Glasner was grateful to have the 20-year-old back at his disposal.
“It was very good [to see him back]," Glasner shared.
“It was the first time in my career that a player had been out for three to four months and had just one week of training with us — even then, we had to manage the training at the beginning — that I called him up for the squad.
“His performance throughout the week was impressive. I spoke to him, and we discussed before the game how many minutes he could play — we determined that 15 to 20 minutes would be possible.
“Big credit to our rehab coaches who worked hard with him. It is good to have him back.
