Roy Hodgson assistants taking charge as Crystal Palace wait to appoint Oliver Glasner

Paddy McCarthy and Ray Lewington will take charge of Crystal Palace at Everton tonight, as the club waits to confirm the appointment of Oliver Glasner to replace Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson is said to be recovering well after he collapsed in front of players and staff during training on Thursday.

His assistants McCarthy and Lewington will lead the team on what is a big night for both clubs in their battle against relegation.

Palace are preparing for life after Hodgson following his worrying episode last week, and the 76-year-old could call time on his long career as a manager. Glasner has agreed to replace Hodgson on a deal until 2026.

His appointment was not confirmed over the weekend, but the former Eintracht Frankfurt manager was already getting to work after being tasked with keeping Palace up.

Glasner held talks with Palace chairman Steve Parish in a London hotel on Friday night and was then at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday scouting Spurs, who Palace face on March 2.

His first game in charge looks set to be Saturday’s home fixture against Burnley.

A challenging week for Palace has been far from ideal preparation for a huge game in their battle to pull clear of danger at the bottom.

McCarthy has led training since Hodgson collapsed. Hodgson was taken to hospital, and Danny Murphy revealed on Sunday that the former England manager was “feeling fine, taking stock and prioritising his health”.

“I messaged (Roy) after the worrying news that he’d been taken ill at Crystal Palace’s training ground and was reassured by his replies,” said Murphy, writing in his Mail on Sunday column.

“He said he was feeling fine, taking stock and prioritising his health. It was good to hear. At 76, he’s absolutely right to put himself first — and he indicated he’s starting to realise that himself.”

Given Glasner was at Tottenham on Saturday, there seems a chance he will be in attendance at Goodison Park, although Palace will be wary of the optics of having the new manager in the directors’ box while Hodgson is still recovering and is still officially in charge.

A run of just four wins in 18 Premier League matches has left Palace just five points above the relegation zone. Lose tonight and they will be sucked further into trouble.

It could be a tough night for Palace, who are set to be without injured trio Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi for the trip to Merseyside.

Everton fans are set to create a hostile atmosphere, with the club expecting to hear the results of the appeal against their 10-point deduction this week.

After Palace players had a scheduled day off on Friday, they trained over the weekend and McCarthy led the sessions. Among Palace’s priorities will have been sharpening up at the back.

The Eagles have shipped 30 goals since their last Premier League clean sheet, including a 5-0 defeat at Arsenal and a 4-1 loss at Brighton.

Glasner will be relieved that Eze and Guehi are nearing returns, but Palace will again place their trust in experienced heads such as Joachim Andersen, Jefferson Lerma and Jordan Ayew.

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