Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has reinstated Super Eagles midfielder Christantus Uche to the first team ahead of their UEFA Conference League clash against Cyprian side AEK Larnaca.
The 22-year-old moved to Selhurst Park from Getafe on a loan move, with the option to buy for £17m included in the deal, provided the Nigerian starts ten league games for the FA Cup Champions.
However, things haven’t panned out for Uche in London as he’s played just seven minutes of Premier League football after a decent start to the season in Spain, where he’d scored a goal and registered an assist for Jose Bordalas’ men.
The former AD Ceuta midfielder featured in Crystal Palace’s U-21 fixture against Stevenage, playing 45 minutes as they lost 5-2.
While he’s been recalled by the manager to the first team, questions have been raised in Spain over why the young midfielder has had very few minutes in England.
Glasner explains Uche’s situation
Romain Esse, Christantus Uche, and Rio Cardines all played against Stevenage on Tuesday, and the Austrian tactician revealed that the decision was made simply to help them build fitness since they weren’t involved with their countries during the October International break.
“Romain Esse, Christantus Uche and Rio Cardines played for the Under-21s on Tuesday night,” the 51-year-old said in quotes revealed by Newshopper.
“They haven’t played many minutes for us either, and we don’t train much at the moment. We now have four games in nine days, so it’s mainly recovery.
“It was the last opportunity to give them an 11 against 11, getting a little bit of feeling for this, which is important if they are needed in the next four games.
“If they went the next three weeks without playing an 11 against 11, then they are not best prepared. That was the reason behind giving them 45 minutes for the Under-21s.
“I told them that it is never a punishment. It’s our responsibility to provide the best environment for every player.
“If we can’t provide it with our regular training because of our tight schedule, we have to think about how we can give them what they need. This is the support.
“If they see it as support, they will benefit from it. If they see it as a punishment, they will fail – not just here, everywhere,” Glasner concluded.
Uche will be hoping to get some minutes tonight, to help build his confidence and fitness, with the hopes of representing Nigeria during the World Cup play-offs next month.