Gravenberch day to day with heel pain ahead of Palace
Andoni Iraola says the midfielder’s heel issue is being managed day to day and his availability for Sunday’s match against Crystal Palace remains in the balance.
Ryan Gravenberch remains a doubt for Sunday’s match against Crystal Palace, with Andoni Iraola saying the midfielder’s heel problem is being handled on a day-to-day basis.
Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Iraola explained the issue is in the heel and depends largely on pain levels rather than a fixed timetable. As first reported by James Pearce, he added that Gravenberch experienced discomfort and lacked full confidence while warming up before the recent game against Arsenal.
The description points to a late decision closer to the weekend, with medical staff monitoring symptoms as training progresses this week. Availability could hinge on how the heel responds to workload in the next few sessions.
A day-to-day designation normally implies short-term management rather than a defined lay-off, allowing selection if pain subsides and the player feels secure in his movements. Equally, any flare-up would make involvement against Palace unlikely.
The reference to the Arsenal warm-up suggests his readiness was in doubt very close to kick-off on that occasion, underlining how marginal the calls around his participation currently are. It indicates the staff may defer a final judgement until matchday if necessary.
No precise timescale, treatment plan or minutes target was disclosed in the remarks cited, and there was no indication of a definitive setback. The only commitment was that his status for Sunday has yet to be cleared.
Should Gravenberch be unavailable, Iraola would need to adjust his midfield options for the weekend fixture, but that selection picture will remain fluid until the final training checks later this week.