September 26th 2024.
Fans of Crystal Palace have been left puzzled by the absence of defender Rob Holding from the first-team lineup. The former Arsenal star was signed by manager Roy Hodgson in 2023 for a bargain price of £1 million, hoping to start fresh in south London. However, since his arrival, Holding has only made one appearance for the Eagles in a Carabao Cup match against Manchester United a year ago.
Unfortunately, injuries kept Holding out for most of last season, but after featuring in the club's pre-season under new manager Oliver Glasner, it was expected that he would play a more active role for the team. However, to the surprise of many, Holding has not been included in a single matchday squad since being an unused substitute in a loss to West Ham in August. Glasner later revealed that the reason for Holding's absence was due to him training away from the first-team.
The situation became even more confusing when Holding deleted all references to Crystal Palace from his social media accounts, leading to speculation that his time with the club was over. And on Thursday, it was the final straw when the official squad photo for the 2024/25 season was released, and Holding was nowhere to be found. This prompted fans on Twitter to start their own search party to uncover where the 29-year-old had disappeared to.
Some fans joked about Holding being kept in the basement by the club, while others came up with creative ideas for a documentary about finding him. But the truth behind Holding's exile remains a mystery, with Glasner only stating that it was an internal matter between him and the player. Despite the speculation, Holding did make a rare appearance for the Palace U21s in a win over Gillingham in the EFL Trophy.
Many are left wondering why Holding has been exiled from the team, especially after Glasner's statement in August that he was training individually. It has been reported that there was a falling out between Holding and Glasner after the loss to West Ham, where the defender questioned the manager's decision to do a post-match running session. This led to Holding being told to train alone with the under-21s, raising concerns about his future at the club.
For now, it seems that Holding's fate with Crystal Palace remains uncertain, with the next opportunity for him to play not until January. But for those worried about his whereabouts, there is no need to fear as he did make an appearance for the U21s. As fans eagerly await answers, it remains to be seen what the future holds for Rob Holding and his career with Crystal Palace.
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