Chris Richards "aiming" for weekend return vs. West Ham

18/04/2024 18:20

Chris Richards is pushing to be part of Crystal Palace’s plans this weekend after missing the last three matches through injury.

Richards provided a positive update on Thursday after suffering a knee injury back on November 30. The U.S. men’s national team centerback missed matches against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Liverpool respectively, which caused frustration for Richards after a lengthy run in the Eagles squad.

However, he is remaining positive over a potential return on Saturday at Selhurst Park.

"I think frustrating would be a good word for it," Richards said in a club interview. "I feel like I worked hard over the last two seasons that I've been here and I think I was finally reaping the benefit of that. It's always nice playing games.

"I have a knee injury,” he added. “Hopefully, what we're aiming for is West Ham. I'm just kind of taking it day by day, hoping that it continues to heal and that's what I'm aiming for, at least, is the West Ham game.”

Richards struggled for consistent playing time in the early stages of the 2023-24 season but jumped into the squad on December 3 and never looked back. The 24-year-old extended his starting role into 2024, which also led to back-to-back international starts with the USMNT in March.

After featuring mainly as a defensive midfielder under Roy Hodgson, Richards has switched back to his traditional centerback role under Oliver Glasner, a role that he expects to continue over the final weeks of the season.

"Centre of defense, preferably," Richards said of his ideal position in the squad. "It was a lot of learning this year, playing right back, center back, center mid. [It was] a lot of positions that I'm not quite used to, but again, like I said, I'll do whatever to be on the pitch and help us win. I think it's been good to play in different positions because you learn a lot.

"We played against [Glasner's] teams in Germany, so I think he remembers what my best position was,” he added. “But coming in, we did have a small conversation, and he just kind of said that for the future he sees me playing center back. All the games I played for him have been at center back."

Crystal Palace sits eight points clear of the relegation zone and welcomes the eighth-placed Hammers to South London on Saturday. Richards will be hoping to be part of the plans, especially with only six matches to play this spring.