Crystal Palace have been without number one goalkeeper and club captain Dean Henderson for the majority of the 2026/27 season after he injured his foot in the club’s final pre-season friendly, a 3-0 loss to SC Freiburg of the Bundesliga. 

For many clubs, missing the starting ‘keeper for a prolonged period of time is borderline catastrophic, but that’s not been the case for Palace due to a certain Argentine. 

The performances from Walter Benítez have made many fans question whether or not the back-up ‘keeper is in fact too good for this role, but is that the case. 

When Walter Benítez was signed by Palace, the club were acquiring the services of a player who not only had experience on the European stage but had also spent years fighting for titles at PSV Eindhoven. 

As a backup ‘keeper signing, it raised eyebrows, with some Palace fans at the time suggesting it could pave the way for Dean Henderson’s exit, albeit that never happened, the England international signing a new deal early this season. 

What this has meant is that when Henderson is injured or cannot play, Palace only see a slight drop off in quality, and in some cases, no decline at all. 

‘Keepers play with a huge reliance on confidence, and so when Benítez was only featuring occasionally, the performances weren’t as strong. However, since he was bought into the side six games ago, he’s rarely put a glove wrong. 

Two standout performances against both Lech Poznañ and at the weekend against Forest have been the highlights, but his overall performance level has been excellent, and will act as a huge bonus for Sage who will know he can trust his backup when needed. 

As long as Dean Henderson is at the club, he will start. He’s proven over his time at the club that he is one of the league’s best shot stoppers on his day, and his leadership has been missed drastically since he was injured. 

Having Benítez is a superb support though, and it relieves the pressure on Henderson to return to fitness quickly. 

After the win at Selhurst Park on Sunday, Benítez spoke about the win, but also his contribution and what he’s been enjoying about his run of starts. 

“It’s always special to play here [Selhurst], of course to win is [always] the objective and goal. I think we did a fantastic game today, and stayed together, pushing, and I’m happy for the result when we finish the game, and it’s important for our confidence.”

Benítez received the player of the match award from Chris Richards, who refused to accept it, instead deciding his South American teammate was worthy of the award. 

Benítez was asked to describe the save he made in the first half, and at the training ground he described it in one word, ‘pain’.

“I can’t remember too much but when I see the ball behind me and jump, I try to take my best position and give myself the biggest possible chance. I helped stop the ball and it was important for the team to help us win the game.”

“We stayed together, this is the most important thing, and I’m happy for the guys because they did their best, we scored three goals and this is important for the next game.”

Speaking on his run of starts in the side, Benítez stayed humble, focusing on the task at hand.

“I always enjoy when I’m on the pitch. I try to do my best in training and every moment to help the team, this is my job and today I’m happy for this and I’m happy for the win. We know we have a lot of games now before the next break and we try to push this win as it’s very important for our confidence. We have many players ready to play and we continue to push and recover well.”

Dean Henderson is due to undergo fitness tests this week, after Pierre Sage disclosed the targeted return date for the number one ‘keeper as “either Lyon or Brighton” last week.