Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace defender Pape Souare could be out of action for up to six months after breaking his thighbone in a car accident, Eagles manager Alan Pardew revealed on Friday.  

The 26-year-old crashed on the M4 motorway in London on Sunday and had to be airlifted to hospital. Pardew said he is currently unclear of the specifics of the accident, per Andy Donley and Chris Osborne on BBC Sport:

It was a broken thigh, there will be a rod through that bone. That should repair stronger. In four, five or six months - he should be up and running again.

I'm not really clear of the details of the accident.

He's having some bad news with his father—he's very sick—so maybe that was on his mind. But it's a situation he couldn't avoid.

Initial reports indicated that Souare also sustained injuries to his jaw in the accident, per Sky Sports.

Souare was not in the Palace squad for their 2-1 away defeat of Middlesbrough the day before the incident, leading fans to reportedly "question his whereabouts," per Mark Ritson in the Croydon Advertiser.

He did, though, start in Palace's first three matches of the new Premier League season in the left-back role.

Souare was also a key part of Pardew's team last term—starting 34 Premier League games—having moved to Selhurst Park in January 2015 from French club Lille.

The Senegalese will now need to be covered in his long-term absence, with the Mirror's Ed Malyon indicating Palace may have to move in the January transfer window to bolster the left-back department:

The current options in Pardew's squad to slot in as Souare's replacement are Martin Kelly—who started against Boro—and Zeki Fryers.

Crystal Palace defender Pape Souare was airlifted to hospital on Sunday after he was involved in a car crash on the M4 motorway, suffering injuries to his thigh and jaw.

The club released a statement on Monday on their official website providing further details about the 26-year-old's accident:

Crystal Palace Football Club regret to confirm that Pape Souare was yesterday (Sunday) involved in a car accident and taken to hospital in London. The player has sustained injuries to his thigh and jaw bone and will remain in hospital whilst he receives treatment. The club are liaising closely with the hospital on his progress and we obviously wish him a speedy recovery.

Our thoughts are with Pape and his family at this time.

According to Richard Wheatstone of the Mirror, the Senegal international was involved in a two-vehicle crash before being airlifted from the scene, although his injuries are not said to be life-threatening.

Palace team-mate Yohan Cabaye wished the defender the best on social media. "I'm with you," he said on Twitter (h/t the London Evening Standard). "Be strong! I wish you a very good recovery."

Eagles winger Bakary Sako posted the following on his Instagram account:

Souare joined Palace in January 2015 from Lille and made 34 appearances for Alan Pardew’s side in the Premier League last season. After a strong start to life at Selhurst Park, he signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal this January.

On the international stage, Souare has represented Senegal 22 times, scoring on one occasion. He's renowned for his energetic bursts forward and committed defensive work on the left flank.

Mathieu Flamini signed for Crystal Palace on Thursday.

News of the veteran midfielder’s move was relayed by the club's Twitter account, and he was pictured with Palace's famous red-and-blue jersey:

The player has agreed a deal until the end of the season and is pleased to be part of the squad. "Crystal Palace is a very ambitious club with great players and I am looking forward to being part of that squad," he told the club's official website. "It is a very interesting challenge for me and I am very excited to be here."

The Frenchman was a free agent, having been released by Arsenal at the end of the previous season. Flamini enjoyed two spells with the Gunners and has long been considered a reliable and committed presence at the base of midfield.

The 32-year-old joined Arsenal from Olympique de Marseille in 2004, and after four successful years in north London, he moved to AC Milan. Five years later, he was back at the Emirates Stadium. While he wasn’t the most glamorous acquisition, Flamini was deemed a dependable option by manager Arsene Wenger.

Indeed, Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Independent is already excited to see what Flamini can offer alongside his compatriot Yohan Cabaye:

Palace boss Alan Pardew revealed he’s a long-term admirer of the player. "I like the fact whenever he played, he played in the big, big games at Arsenal when they needed someone to kind of lead the team over the line and get big results," he said, per James Dale of Sky Sports.

Having landed his man, the Eagles boss will be delighted. Prior to Flamini's acquisition, Palace would have already been content with the business they did in the summer, having signed Christian Benteke, Loic Remy, Andros Townsend and Steve Mandanda during the transfer window.

Flamini will be the icing on the cake for a lot of Palace supporters. Indeed, he looks set to be a direct replacement for former midfielder Mile Jedinak, with the experienced holding player joining Aston Villa in August.

The former Arsenal man will bring similar qualities in the middle of the park, as he’s able to break up play, win back possession and distribute smartly.

Given Flamini is acquainted with the Premier League, it’s a risk-free deal for Palace and another savvy piece of business the club’s hierarchy should be pleased with.

Chelsea striker Loic Remy completed a loan move to Crystal Palace on Tuesday, bringing his time with the Blues to a temporary end after two seasons.

The Eagles confirmed the transfer:

As reported by Jonathon Rogers of Crystal Palace's official website, the forward pointed to Eagles manager Alan Pardew as one of the key factors behind the move:

I spoke to the manager and he really wants us to be competitive and score goals. It was really important to know the manager and it was a good decision for me, and I'm very happy to be here.

We had a good time together [at Newcastle] and I'm pleased to be back under him because I think he is a very good manager. He can give me a lot, and I hope to do the same for him and the team.

Remy moved to Stamford Bridge in 2014 after impressing with Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle United on loan, becoming the primary back-up behind star striker Diego Costa.

The France international made the most of his opportunities in his first season at Stamford Bridge, scoring seven Premier League goals while starting just six matches, per WhoScored.com.

But despite his solid performances, former Blues manager Jose Mourinho gave the 29-year-old few chances to show he could be a starter, even when Costa struggled for form early in the 2015-16 campaign.

Former interim manager Guus Hiddink turned his attention to the transfer market in January, sealing a loan deal for former AC Milan star Alexandre Pato. The move indicated the Dutchman may not have rated the forward highly, and new Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte clearly feels the same way.

The Italian brought in Michy Batshuayi, who has impressed early on in his Blues career and seems set to take on a bigger role as the year progresses.

Remy did an admirable job leading Newcastle's attack during the 2013-14 season, showing he's more than capable of being an everyday starter for a Premier League club.

Palace are winless after three Premier League matches and have scored just one goal, and the additions of Remy and Christian Benteke should help in the scoring department.

Financially, it makes sense for Chelsea to cash in now, but one has to wonder whether the Blues will end up regretting this move. Costa has struggled with injuries in the past, and depth is now limited behind him.

Change was needed after an abysmal 2015-16 campaign, however, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to see the team part ways with a fringe player who wasn't expected to contribute much. Remy is still a solid forward and an investment the Eagles shouldn't regret.

Crystal Palace have completed the capture of Christian Benteke from Liverpool for an undisclosed fee.

Confirmation of the signing came via Crystal Palace on Saturday:

The deal brings an early end to the Belgium forward’s spell at Anfield, having joined the club from Aston Villa in the summer of 2015 for £32.5 million. In his debut term with the Merseyside giants, Benteke netted nine goals in 29 Premier League appearances.

When it comes to the forward, it’s not his finishing that saw him marginalised by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp. Benteke was given chances to prove what he can do under the German, but he didn’t show a willingness to make runs into channels or close down opponents, two key qualities Klopp looks for in his strikers.

Liverpool perhaps didn’t play to his strengths, either. During his time at Aston Villa, Benteke thrived when he was the focal point of the attack and crosses regularly came into the penalty area for him to compete for.

The Reds were meticulous in their build-up play under former boss Brendan Rodgers and play an intense style of football under his successor. It means the supply line was never really in place for Benteke to blossom as he has done previously.

As these numbers from WhoScored.com illustrate, in the right kind of structure, the striker can be very effective:

Palace will have surely considered that when launching their bid for the player. Manager Alan Pardew is a little more direct in the way he sets his team up, and while it’s not a style of football that’s easy on the eye, Benteke’s track record shows it’s an option worth considering.

With the Eagles, Benteke will surely be a regular starter. Plus with players such as Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend, Jason Puncheon and Yohan Cabaye, there will be plenty of dangerous deliveries for him to feed off.

For the player, a fresh start will also be invigorating. Although Liverpool paid big money to land the forward, there was always a sense that things wouldn’t be plain sailing for Benteke on Merseyside.

At Selhurst Park, he’ll be a much more significant member of the squad and will give Palace a physical edge to their attacking play.

The Premier League season is nearly upon us, and action in the pre-season transfer market is heating up.

In the above video, Bleacher Report's Dean Jones looks at Crystal Palace and four of their players who may be looking at a move away from Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace confirmed the signing of Olympique de Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda on Friday, with the 31-year-old penning a three-year deal at Selhurst Park. 

The Eagles welcomed Mandanda to the club on their Twitter page:

Per Richard Harvey in the Sun, Everton and Chelsea were both also interested in the France back-up goalkeeper.

Mandanda is with the France national squad at Euro 2016, playing as a reserve to Tottenham Hotspur's Hugo Lloris.

He is immensely experienced and has won the Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year award four times, more than any other player, per Squawka.

According to French football writer Matt Spiro, there are many in France who argue he is even better than Lloris:

Meanwhile, Ligue 1 writer Andrew Gibney credited Mandanda with propelling Marseille to a fourth-place finish last season:

Palace already have goalkeepers Wayne Hennessey, Julian Speroni and Alex McCarthy on the books, but Mandanda is sure to take the No. 1 spot given his immense quality.

Per WhoScored.com's Ben McAleer, he is a vast improvement on what Eagles boss Alan Pardew has to call on between the posts:

Palace only narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League last season after a big drop in form midway through the campaign.

However, if they can make a few more additions of Mandanda's quality, they will be aiming for a top-10 finish at worst in 2016-17.

Crystal Palace completed the £13 million signing of Newcastle United winger Andros Townsend on Friday after the forward penned a five-year contract at Selhurst Park. 

The Eagles announced the acquisition via their official Twitter account after activating the forward's release clause:

The move means the England international will be a Palace player until the summer of 2021 as manager Alan Pardew looks to improve his squad following last season's 15th-place finish in the Premier League. 

The Chronicle's Lee Ryder provided quotes from Newcastle's managing director, Lee Charnley, who voiced some disappointment over the sale:

Townsend scored four goals in 13 Premier League appearances for the Magpies after moving to St. James' Park in January 2016, having slipped down the pecking order at former club Tottenham Hotspur.

The move is a swift return to the top flight for Townsend, who often sparkled as one of Newcastle's brighter attacking options despite the club's failure to retain its status in the Premier League.

Crystal Palace sealed the move on the first day of the summer transfer window's official opening, and BBC Sport reported Dwight Gayle travelled in the opposite direction in a £10 million deal.

Richard Cawley of the South London Press suggested the deal was a valuable one for the Eagles after Townsend shone in Newcastle's last few games of the campaign:

The 24-year-old will now attempt to find the consistency that eluded him over the course of his final few years at White Hart Lane, where he struggled to find a frequent spot in Tottenham's starting XI.

Pardew will be better equipped to offer Townsend those assurances at Selhurst Park, and it won't be long until the winger is given a chance against his former club, with Palace and Spurs set to clash on August 20.

A Charlton Athletic supporter arrived in court on Tuesday accused of trying to punch an American bald eagle that acts as Crystal Palace's mascot.

Daniel Boylett allegedly committed the offence during the two teams' Capital One Cup clash at Selhurst Park on Sept. 23, 2015, which Palace won, 4-1.

The 35-year-old appeared in court alongside Colin Kitto, 48, and Andy McConville, 47, with all three pleading not guilty to charges of violent disorder.

Boylett faces the additional charge of attempted criminal damage to the value of approximately £20,000, the estimated worth of the eagle.

He did not enter a plea for the charge relating to the eagle, with the trio due back in court on April 26.

[h/t Croydon Advertiser]

One Crystal Palace fan is seriously upset with Christian Benteke.

The Liverpool striker was accused of diving after winning and converting the decisive late penalty in the Reds' 2-1 win at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

That's prompted one Palace supporter to start an online petition asking the Football Association to ban Benteke and fine Liverpool six points. 

Crystal Palace fan creates petition to get Liverpool striker Christian Benteke banned https://t.co/q8PJf8Tv4T pic.twitter.com/PpF3AHWBxK

— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) March 7, 2016

"During the Premier League game on Sunday 6th March 2016 between Crystal Palace and Liverpool in the 94th minute Liverpool player Christian Benteke DIVED to con the refereeing officials to award Liverpool with a penalty which subsequently won them the game," wrote Adam Greeves on change.org.

You can view (and even sign if you so wish) the petition here. Don't get your hopes up, though.

[Twitter, h/t 101 Great Goals]