Team guides · Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace FPL team guide 2026/27
Squad, fixture runs and rotation partners
Squad leaders
The fastest routes into this club's player pool.
Points and form from 2025/26.
Schedule pulse
Difficulty across the next 5 listed fixtures.
Attack vs defence
Bawler's own split — the same run can be kind to one end and cruel to the other.
Rated 1 (easiest) to 5 from the opponent's attacking and defensive strength, not the official single number. How it's built →
Squad
34 players in the FPL game, by position.
| Player | Owned | Pts | xPts | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||
| HendersonNailed | 9.0% | 131 | 2.90 | £5.1 |
| BenitezBackup | 0.3% | 7 | 0.26 | £3.9 |
| MatthewsFringe | 0.1% | 0 | 0.00 | £3.9 |
| Defenders | ||||
| Muñoz85% | 9.2% | 136 | 2.50 | £5.9 |
| Lacroix | 7.1% | 154 | — | £5.2 |
| Mitchell | 2.3% | 135 | 2.34 | £5.0 |
| SosaRotation | 0.1% | 6 | 1.04 | £4.8 |
| Canvot | 0.5% | 72 | 3.41 | £4.5 |
| RichardsNailed | 2.2% | 128 | 3.56 | £4.4 |
| Chadi Riad | 0.1% | 20 | 2.08 | £4.0 |
| Kporha | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.0 |
| Benamar | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.0 |
| King | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.0 |
| Clyne | 0.5% | 17 | — | £3.8 |
| Midfielders | ||||
| Johnson | 2.4% | 65 | — | £6.5 |
| Sarr | 5.6% | 117 | 3.51 | £6.4 |
| GuessandOUT | 0.0% | 44 | 0.00 | £6.2 |
| Yeremy | 0.2% | 77 | 1.96 | £5.8 |
| WhartonNailed | 0.7% | 112 | 3.25 | £5.0 |
| KamadaBattle | 0.1% | 67 | 1.52 | £5.0 |
| LermaBattle | 0.1% | 69 | 1.83 | £4.9 |
| DoucouréRotation | 0.0% | 0 | 0.42 | £4.9 |
| HughesRotation | 0.1% | 45 | 0.81 | £4.7 |
| Drakes-ThomasFringe | 0.0% | 2 | 0.18 | £4.5 |
| Cardines | 0.3% | 2 | — | £4.4 |
| Rodney | 0.1% | 1 | — | £4.4 |
| DevennyRotation | 1.1% | 36 | 1.15 | £4.3 |
| Agbinone | 0.1% | 0 | — | £4.3 |
| Forwards | ||||
| MatetaBattle | 8.1% | 114 | 2.06 | £7.6 |
| Strand LarsenBattle | 1.4% | 75 | 1.73 | £5.8 |
| Uche | 0.1% | 17 | — | £5.5 |
| NketiahFringe | 0.3% | 23 | 0.61 | £5.4 |
| Casey | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.5 |
| Marsh | 0.3% | 0 | — | £4.4 |
Points from 2025/26. xPts is Bawler's projected points per gameweek — fixture-adjusted and weighted by how likely the player is to start. Full projections →
Rotation partners
Own one from each pair and start whichever has the kinder week.
Scored by taking the easier of the two clubs' fixtures each gameweek across the listed horizon.
Fixture run
Every listed fixture ahead, coloured by official FPL difficulty.
Latest updates
Johnson, 25, completed a move to Everton on 11 August as the other half of the McNeil swap, signing a four-year deal. He had joined Palace from Tottenham in January 2026 for a then-club-record £35m but failed to score in 26 appearances.
FPL: Remove Johnson from all Palace projections — he is now an Everton asset and faces his old club on the opening weekend. His exit frees up a wide starting berth that McNeil is the obvious candidate to fill.
McNeil, 26, completed a move to Selhurst Park on 11 August in a rare straight swap that took Brennan Johnson to Everton, signing a four-year contract. Fees were undisclosed. He made 114 appearances for Everton and had come close to a Palace move in January before the deal collapsed on deadline day over paperwork.
FPL: A proven Premier League wide man arriving 11 days before the opener and stepping straight into the role vacated by Johnson — a viable cheap midfield option if he starts at Everton on 22 August. Watch the Freiburg friendly (15 Aug) for confirmation of his role.
Palace officially announced Guessand's return on 12 August on a season-long loan from Aston Villa. Villa describe the deal as carrying a conditional obligation to buy, Palace as an option to buy. The Ivory Coast forward spent the second half of last season at Selhurst, playing 14 times and scoring twice, and featured in the Conference League final win. Steve Parish: "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome Evann back to Crystal Palace."
FPL: Adds another body to a crowded Palace front line alongside Mateta and Strand Larsen, so treat him as a rotation forward rather than a nailed starter until Sage's opening XI is seen. Slightly dampens the case for Palace forward minutes generally.
Palace lined up Benitez; Riad, Richards, Canvot; Cardines, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Nketiah, Strand Larsen. Sarr scored from a corner routine and Matheus Franca won it after half-time. Dean Henderson, Daniel Munoz, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Brennan Johnson and Yeremy Pino were not in the matchday squad, with no club explanation given.
FPL: Shape and midfield pairing look settled, but Henderson's and Munoz's total absence is unexplained and worth monitoring before GW1 at Everton on 22 August.
Chadi Riad started in the back three alongside Chris Richards and Jaydee Canvot, while Jorgen Strand Larsen started in attack after returning to training following the World Cup earlier in the week. Both were making their first appearances of pre-season.
FPL: Riad (£4.5m) and Strand Larsen (£6.0m) are both fit and integrated ahead of GW1; Strand Larsen looks set to lead the line.
Crystal Palace officially announced the free-transfer signing of Takehiro Tomiyasu, 27, after a successful trial period, making him Pierre Sage's second summer signing. He was named among the substitutes for the Fulham friendly and can operate across the back three.
FPL: Squad depth rather than an FPL asset; adds competition at centre-back and right-sided defence but is not a starter on arrival.
Adam Wharton made his first appearance of pre-season in the behind-closed-doors 2-1 win at Fulham's Motspur Park on 7 August, starting in central midfield alongside Daichi Kamada. He had missed the entire pre-season including the Como Cup with the ankle problem.
FPL: Wharton (£5.5m) is available and match-fit two weeks before the Everton opener; our earlier doubt should be removed entirely.
Adam Wharton was listed as a notable absentee for the behind-closed-doors friendly at Fulham on 7 August, still recovering from the ankle injury that has cost him the entire pre-season. He missed the Swindon opener on 18 July and did not travel to Italy for the Como Cup in late July. Palace open the league season away at Everton on 22 August.
FPL: Palace's key midfielder now has zero pre-season minutes with two weeks until the opener, so he is a genuine doubt for GW1 and likely to be eased in even if fit. Avoid until he is seen in a friendly — the 15 August Freiburg game is the checkpoint.
Tracked daily from cited sources. News for every club is on team news.
Manager & style
Appointed 15 June 2026, replacing Oliver Glasner (contract expired at the end of 2025/26; subsequently appointed at Nottingham Forest). A new manager means last season's roles, minutes and set-piece duties do not automatically carry over.
French coach, three-year contract, arriving from RC Lens (2 Jun 2025 - 15 Jun 2026), previously Lyon (Nov 2023 - Jan 2025). At Lyon he primarily used 4-3-3 but shifted between back four and back three while always keeping three central midfielders. At Lens he committed all season to a 3-4-3 with a two-man midfield, very high wing-backs and huge crossing volume (531 crossing attempts, 2nd-most in Ligue 1). Pressing philosophy is aggressive and coordinated - 'the courage to leave space behind you and press' - with a fallback low block that funnels play into wide traps and springs fast vertical counters. Analysts expect the pressing/transition PRINCIPLES to carry over regardless of shape, but the shape itself at Palace is explicitly undecided
Usual shape: Unresolved. 3-4-3 was his season-long shape at Lens (and would preserve Glasner's back three); 4-3-3 was his Lyon default. No source confirms what he has used in Palace preseason
Summer transfers
In
| Player | Pos | From | Fee | Expected role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oscar Mingueza | RB | Celta Vigo | Free | Right-back/right wing-back cover, signed 9 July 2026 |
| Amaari Sealey | CM | AFC Wimbledon | Undisclosed | Development signing, 17 July 2026 |
| Alfie Mulvenna | CB | Larne | Undisclosed | Academy/development signing, 29 July 2026 |
Out
| Player | Pos | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxence Lacroix | CB | Chelsea | £52m |
| Danny Imray | RB | Wrexham | £5m |
| Owen Goodman | GK | Dundee (season-long loan) | Loan |
| Hindolo Mustapha | AM | Wigan Athletic (season-long loan) | Loan |
Current injuries
| Player | Issue | Expected return |
|---|---|---|
| Eddie Nketiah | Thigh injury (physioroom.com EPL injury table, fetched 30 Jul 2026). Appears to be a NEW issue picked up between 18 and 30 July - he scored a brace vs Swindon on 18 July so was fit then | Unverified - no return date published |
| Cheick Doucoure | Listed only as 'other' injury type on physioroom.com. History of a serious knee problem requiring surgery in Jan 2025; whether this is a recurrence is unverified | Unverified - no return date published |
Injury picture as of 30 July 2026 — availability moves fast in pre-season, so confirm against official team news.
Expected XI & selection battles
Formation: Unresolved - back three (Lens template, preserves Glasner structure) vs back four (Lyon template)
- GK Dean Henderson (captain since January 2026, undisputed No.1)
- CB Chris Richards
- CB Chadi Riad
- CB Oscar Mingueza (if back three)
- RWB/RB Daniel Munoz
- LWB/LB Tyrick Mitchell
- CM Adam Wharton (transfer risk)
- CM Jefferson Lerma or Will Hughes
- AM Yeremy Pino
- AM Daichi Kamada or Ismaila Sarr (transfer risk)
- ST Jean-Philippe Mateta or Jorgen Strand Larsen
Battles to watch
- VERY LOW CONFIDENCE - no actual starting-XI or formation data could be obtained for any of the four preseason matches. BBC noted Sage named different starting XIs for each half vs Bromley, i.e. still testing depth
- Centre-forward: Jean-Philippe Mateta vs Jorgen Strand Larsen (club-record signing worth up to £48m, joined Feb 2026, scored a brace vs Swindon on 18 July). Mateta has genuine competition for the first time in years
- Centre-back is the biggest structural question: Palace have lost TWO senior centre-backs in seven months (Guehi to Man City in January, Lacroix to Chelsea in July) - Richards, Riad, Mingueza and Mulvenna is a thin, unsettled group
- Whether Munoz and Mitchell play as wing-backs (high FPL value) or orthodox full-backs (much lower) depends entirely on the unresolved formation question
- Attacking midfield: Yeremy Pino (inherited Eze's No.10 shirt) vs Daichi Kamada vs Ismaila Sarr vs Matheus Franca (hat-trick vs Swindon on 18 July)
Set-piece takers
FPL winners & losers
Research calls from the sources below, not model output — the model's numbers for these players are on predicted points.
Key uncertainties
The honest list — what this guide could not pin down as of 30 July 2026. Any of these can change the FPL picture before Gameweek 1:
- FORMATION is the single biggest unknown and the whole Palace FPL thesis - back three (Lens template, keeps Munoz/Mitchell as premium wing-backs) vs back four (demotes them). No source could confirm what Sage has actually used in the four preseason matches
- No actual starting-XI or lineup data could be obtained for ANY of the four preseason games (cpfc.co.uk and We Are Palace match reports returned truncated/blocked content) - this is the largest evidence gap in this file
- Adam Wharton's destination - Chelsea 'in contact' and 'exploring a move' as of 12-13 July, Palace want £80-100m, no agreed fee. One aggregated snippet cited a '£75m agreement close' but also quoted a £52m figure identical to the Lacroix fee, suggesting conflation - treat with real skepticism
- Ismaila Sarr's destination - Man Utd interest at inquiry stage only (22 July), no bid or fee reported, valued around £50m
- Eddie Nketiah and Cheick Doucoure - injury types partially known from physioroom, return dates completely unknown
- Romain Esse - was loaned to Coventry City on 7 January 2026 'for the remainder of the season'; his return status for 2026/27 is unverified
- Charlie Cresswell (Toulouse) linked as Lacroix cover in a single TeamTalk mention (30 June) - uncorroborated, possibly not real
- Set-piece succession after Eze's departure - no source found confirming who takes corners or free-kicks
- CONTEXT CORRECTION for the model: Marc Guehi (sold to Manchester City, 19 Jan 2026, £20m) and Eberechi Eze (sold to Arsenal, 23 Aug 2025, reported £67.5m) are NO LONGER Palace players. Neither is a summer-2026 transfer so neither appears in transfersOut above, but any model carrying them as Palace assets is wrong. Likewise Jorgen Strand Larsen (joined Feb 2026) and Yeremy Pino (joined Aug 2025) are current Palace players despite not being summer-2026 arrivals
- Palace play in the UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE in 2026/27 (promoted from the Conference League, which they won vs Rayo Vallecano). Real fixture-congestion and rotation factor. Minor conflict: Palace's Wikipedia article dates the final 27 May 2026, Sarr's page says 28 May
- One outlet (South London News, 4 July) forecasts a 'slow, disjointed start' with heavy August rotation and tactical fluidity delayed to late September, given ten players had deep World Cup runs - that is one outlet's analysis, not fact, but the underlying player list is confirmed
Sources
- Pierre Sage (managerial career, Lens 2025-26, Palace appointment) — 2026-07-30
- 2026-27 Crystal Palace F.C. season — 2026-07-30
- Premier League injury table — 2026-07-30
- Maxence Lacroix medical completed ahead of Chelsea move — 2026-07-25
- Man Utd eye Ismaila Sarr — 2026-07-22
- Manager line-up complete for 2026/27 season — 2026-07-13
A point-in-time research snapshot compiled 30 July 2026, showing the six most recent of the sources the research drew on. It does not update in real time — line-ups, fitness and transfers can all move before the deadline, so always confirm against official team news. All 20 club guides are on team guides.
FPL is a free fantasy game — this is squad research, not betting advice.
Updated 13 August 2026, 07:21 UK · Source: Official FPL API