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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Sam Tabuteau

Crystal Palace: Eagles receive injury boost ahead of tricky Conference League trip

Big help: Oliver Glasner - (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Walter Benitez has returned to Crystal Palace training ahead of their Conference League opener against Dynamo Kyiv.

Benitez has missed Palace’s last two games, having dislocated his finger during the Eagles’ penalty shootout victory over Millwall in the Carabao Cup, but was spotted training with the squad on Wednesday morning.

It is unclear whether he has travelled with the squad to Poland on Wednesday afternoon.

The 32-year-old saved two penalties against Millwall, in his first and only appearance for Palace since arriving from PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer this summer.

Benitez’s return comes as a further boost to Oliver Glasner, who welcomed back Ismaila Sarr during last weekend’s dramatic 2-1 win over Liverpool.

Sarr had been out since before the international break with a hamstring injury but made a goalscoring return to the side as Palace extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 18 games.

Glasner was also able to call upon summer signing Yeremy Pino against the champions after he was withdrawn at half-time during Palace’s 2-1 victory against West Ham.

The Austrian has a near full-strength complement to pick from against Dynamo, with Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad, and Caleb Kporha long-term absentees.

Palace travel to the Lublin Arena in Poland for their first-ever major European game, confident of making a strong start to the league phase after ending Liverpool’s unbeaten start to the new campaign.

After taking on Dynamo Kyiv, Palace face AZ Alkmaar, KuPS, AEK Larnaca at Selhurst Park, along with away matches against Strasbourg and Shelbourne FC.

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