Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton was forced to miss his side’s FA Cup celebrations after playing a key role in their Wembley triumph. Wharton, 21, was instrumental as the Eagles won their first-ever major trophy as they beat favourites Manchester City 1-0 courtesy of Eberechi Eze’s goal.
Palace keeper Dean Henderson saved a penalty from Omar Marmoush before Palace were forced to hang on in the closing stages as City piled forward. Wharton was pivotal to the rearguard, finishing the game having won five duels, completed two interceptions, made four clearances and pulled off two blocks. However, his willingness to put his body on the line also inadvertently cost him the chance to savour the scenes at the final whistle.
Wharton threw himself in the way of a powerful shot from Kevin de Bruyne on the edge of the area. The rising effort struck the England international on the back of the head, and he stayed down afterwards to receive treatment.
Wharton initially carried on before being replaced by Will Hughes in the 87th minute. As he was receiving checks for a potential concussion from club medical staff, Palace survived 10 minutes of injury time before the final whistle, sparking emotional scenes amongst fans and players.
However, Wharton wasn’t there to receive his medal or help lift the trophy. Instead, FA protocols required him to receive precautionary medical checks, and after missing the celebrations, Wharton uploaded a selfie to social media while wearing a medical gown and added the caption: “Apparently, we won the FA Cup. EAGLESSSSSSSSSS.”
Wharton had been a major doubt for the final after picking up an ankle injury against Nottingham Forest earlier this month. He returned to the squad for the Premier League clash with Tottenham last Sunday, and allayed any fears over his fitness with a standout display in the 2-0 win.
Against City, he excelled in the middle alongside Daichi Kamada. In the early hours of Sunday morning, he uploaded a more coherent post to X, sharing three matchday pictures and writing “History” with a cup emoji.