Richards Suffers Ankle Injury During Match Against Arsenal

Richards sustained an injury during the 69th minute while contesting an aerial ball with Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus. Although the challenge seemed routine, with Jesus winning the header, Richards landed awkwardly and displayed immediate signs of discomfort. He initially attempted to continue playing but soon collapsed on the field, grasping his right ankle as Crystal Palace’s medical staff hurried to assist him.

Following the match, Coach Glasner provided an update, stating, “Oh yes, he got a knock on his foot, and it had to be stitched. But it doesn’t look so bad. I don’t know if he will be available for Sunday, but hopefully, he will be back in the new year because we have struggled a bit with tall players. He’s one of our best headers, and we had to substitute him, allowing Will Hughes to come in. We didn’t have a tall player or a tall defender on the bench, and I think the remaining players performed well.”

The seriousness of Richards’ injury became evident when medical staff removed his boot, revealing blood on his sock. After several minutes of treatment during a stoppage in play, he was carefully placed on a stretcher and taken off the field in the 75th minute, with Will Hughes coming on as his replacement as Palace aimed to secure a late victory.

The Alabama-born defender has been a consistent starter for Crystal Palace, playing every Premier League match in the 2025–26 season, missing only seven minutes of action as Oliver Glasner’s squad has advanced into the top half of the table. His reliability has established him as a central figure in Palace’s defense, working alongside Joachim Andersen.

Richards joined Crystal Palace from Bayern Munich in 2023, following a loan period at Hoffenheim, and has progressively become an integral part of the team at Selhurst Park. He has also been recognized as one of the USMNT’s most reliable players this year, making 12 appearances.

Crystal Palace’s next match is against Tottenham on December 28, followed by their first fixture of 2026 on New Year’s Day against Fulham.