Crystal Palace striker Jørgen Strand Larsen has withdrawn from Norway’s squad for the international break due to injury. 

The striker had missed three games due to an ankle injury he sustained during Palace’s 2-2 draw with Beşiktaş in late October, a foul which Ümit Akdağ was shown a straight red card for. 

He was on the bench for the 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim, and started Palace’s 3-1 defeat to Liverpool, in which he scored a goal which was disallowed for offside. 

With Jean-Philippe Mateta currently serving a three game suspension, of which he has two games remaining, Palace will be desperate not to lose Strand Larsen too. That would leave Eddie Nketiah as the only option for the new manager, who is still expected to be Thomas Frank despite delays to any official announcement. 

Strand Larsen missed three games whilst he nursed his ankle injury, including the 2-0 Premier League defeat to Newcastle, the 1-0 win away to Fulham in the Carabao Cup and Palace’s 2-0 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, the same game in which Mateta was issued his red card. 

There is no suggestion that his injury has gotten worse, nor that his appearance against Liverpool triggered further rehabilitation. 

He’s scored four goals in twelve appearances across all competitions this season, and whilst Mateta is still undoubtedly the number one when he’s fit, Strand Larsen provides a great option as a backup, and he played well on Sunday despite Palace losing the game. 

With Nketiah still managing his own fitness issues, going down to just one striking option would be far from ideal, and would make the start of the new manager’s tenure a tough one.

Strand Larsen was due to face Wales and Denmark in this break, the side’s final two games in the Nations League of which they would need to win both in order to give themselves a chance of reaching the play-offs. 

He was called up alongside Erling Haaland and Alexander Sørloth, and has consistently held the bench for Manchester City’s number nine, as the former Palace man Sørloth occupies a wider position for his national side. 

Strand Larsen was therefore unlikely to get many minutes, especially considering the importance of the two games and also that of Haaland to the side, and it therefore makes sense for him to return to Palace in order to focus solely on his recovery. 

From his point of view too, he will see a new manager coming in as a huge chance to impress and stake a claim for the starting place, and will only be able to do so if fully fit. From Palace’s perspective, there is perhaps a view to having as few players as possible away over the next two weeks, in order for the new manager to really get a grip on the side and implement their style ahead of two huge Premier League fixtures the other side of the break.