Football: Crystal Palace ‘make big decision’ over Christantus Uche loan amid impressive run of form
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Oliver Glasner heaps praise on Getafe loanee Uche
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner heaped praise on Christantus Uche after the Nigerian international recorded a goal and an assist to lead the Eagles to a convincing 3-0 victory over Shelbourne in the UEFA Conference League in Dublin on Thursday night.
The result confirmed our football predictions and gave the team’s knockout qualification hopes a major boost. Palace are now up to ninth place in the League Phase standings with nine points, just one point below the top eight. Speaking after the match, Glasner said:
“This gives them confidence, and it was time for Uche. He deserved it because he showed up against Fulham, and that’s why he deserved it. He also showed that he can help us and can score goals, and that’s why it was a very good performance for him.”
Uche joined the London side on loan with an obligation to buy if he makes 10 Premier League starts for the Eagles. To this point, he has only played 44 minutes, though that is expected to increase significantly with Ismaila Sarr now on international duty with Senegal at the AFCON 2025.
The 22-year-old also made an impressive cameo off the bench against Fulham last weekend and is expected to be a part of the team to face the Citizens on Sunday. You can check out all the key insights for that match in our Crystal Palace vs Manchester City prediction.
The Eagles are soaring in the English top flight this season. They have won three of their last four league games and currently occupy fourth place in the league standings, just five points off Pep Guardiola’s side in second.
Uche sends clear message to Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle
Uche’s impressive recent performances for Palace come directly after the disappointment of being left out of the Nigerian national team’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which gets underway on December 21.
Despite scoring the winning penalty for the Super Eagles at the Unity Cup against Jamaica, Eric Chelle overlooked the 22-year-old in his 28-man squad for the continental showpiece, along with the likes of Victor Boniface, Ola Aina, and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Nigeria and Chelle are under serious pressure to produce a deep run in Morocco after finishing as runners-up in the previous edition of the AFCON and failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Super Eagles will face Tanzania in their tournament opener on Tuesday, December 23.
