CPFC handed huge late injury boost ahead of Arsenal clash, Vieira will be delighted - opinion

Crystal Palace have been given a huge boost ahead of their match with Arsenal as £1.3m-rated midfielder James McArthur is expected to return from injury.

The Scotsman was out for 12 weeks earlier this season after he suffered a hamstring tear, before picking up another injury when returning in February.

He has been a key player for the Eagles since he joined from Wigan in 2014 for £7.9m. The 34-year old has made 242 appearances in a Palace shirt and is the vice-captain at Selhurst Park.

His return will be huge for the dressing room, especially considering Palace are without their star forwards Michael Olise and Wilfried Zaha who picked up injuries of their own whilst on international duty.

McArthur’s leadership qualities will be useful against a strong Arsenal side with Vieira describing him as “valuable” and “a warrior” when being interviewed earlier in the season.

The Eagles will be looking to better the result in the reverse fixtures at the Emirates Stadium where it finished 2-2. McArthur featured in that game but was lucky not to be shown a red card after ‘channelling his inner Vieira’ in a crunch tackle on Bukayo Saka.

His defensive attributes can be pivotal in stopping the Gunners, with the veteran midfielder ranking inside the top 10% in the past year across Europe’s top five league for blocks, clearances and recovering loose balls.

While Palace supporters are full of praise for McArthur’s impact, he is one of those players that go under the radar for those who aren’t followers of the club.

He may not be the most entertaining, but he fights and does the work that perhaps some other players are reluctant to.

Despite not featuring much this campaign, his impact has shown he is a player who picks up the ball a lot