“He is ready [to play on Monday], but it’s always the same: we have to manage him,” Glasner said. “He saw another specialist, so it’s always an up and down.
“He trained quite well this week, he’s in good shape, so it’s okay.”
Glasner later elaborated on Wharton's issue: "It doesn't look like it will disappear, and we are looking for the right break. I looked at the schedule and I didn't find a break. We are used to having a break at Christmas, but it's the busiest time here.
"We will see. As long as he can deal with his problems, with the pain especially, we try to keep it like it is, and when it gets worse maybe he has to get a longer break and a surgery."
Speaking later on, the manager said of Daniel Muñoz – who came off against Liverpool with an injury: "He’s fit. He trained today for the first time - he’s fine.
"He would have played 90 minutes twice for Colombia [if he went on international duty]. You can’t cheat your body. Daniel has played so many minutes that his body said: ‘Man, I need a break.’ He had this break now."
After plenty of players featuring for their international teams over the break, the Monday night fixture has allowed Palace some extra time to train as a full group before the return of Premier League action.
“We tried to make the best [of the break],” he explained. “Several players were playing for their national teams, some players were working individually, especially in the first week.
“Today was the first training session all together, so it’s a positive that we play on Monday. We have three days to prepare for the Nottingham [Forest] game, and the evidence will be on Monday.”
