Why Adam Wharton has gone from England's wild card to badly struggling at Crystal Palace

There has been a lot of talk about the form of Crystal Palace, who have gone seven games without a win. The Eagles run of form is in stark contrast to how they won six of their last seven games last season, finishing 10th in the league. The Eagles have looked a pale shadow of themselves.

Fingers have rightly been pointed at the form of players like Eberechi Eze and Marc Guéhi, especially after the draw against Leicester City, where Guéhi was outrun by veteran Jamie Vardy. However, the form of one of their unsung heroes, Adam Wharton, has been particularly alarming.

He has looked unfit and slow. When they snapped him up from Blackburn for just £18million, he took to the Premier League like a duck to water. He was the fulcrum around which Oliver Glasner's style revolved, and within three months of arriving in the Premier League, he went from being an unknown player to taking Tottenham’s James Maddison’s spot at the Euros in Germany. He was fresh, brilliant, and a delight to watch.

So much so that by the time summer came around, the BBC was reporting that Manchester City had been monitoring him and saw him as a long-term replacement for Rodri. Liverpool were also linked, as top teams began to circle.

However, all that has come crashing down lately, as the team has collectively been unable to rediscover the form that made some fans think they could challenge for a Premier League spot.

Is Adam Wharton Carrying an Injury?

3 Added Minutes sources have said that the 20-year-old has been playing with some discomfort and is looking to use this international break for a proper rest before the league marathon returns. They add that the Eagles have pencilled in a behind-the-scenes friendly against Ipswich next week, but the midfielder will be excused in a bid to ensure he is fully restored and healed before the game against Nottingham Forest.

The club is also hoping to establish a similar program for midfielder Eberechi Eze but he, who has also had little rest, which is being suggested as one of the reasons for the slow start to the season. Both Eze and Wharton went straight to the Euros after the campaign, along with Guéhi and Dean Henderson. Even though all of them would be used to the demands of being high-level professionals, it’s easy to forget that Wharton was only playing in the lower leagues at the start of the season, and adjusting to these new standards is something he needs to get used to.

These are not excuses, but it’s only fair that when a 20-year-old moves to the most competitive league and takes things by storm, there comes a period when everyone gets to know how good he is and tries to mark him out. The new challenge for him is to readjust his game, add all the improvements he needs, and then go on to become a real star. There is no doubt that once he gets back to his level, the rumours and links to clubs in the top half will return. But for now, he needs to first rediscover the qualities that made him hard to ignore—his crisp passing, vision, and incredibly brilliant game-reading ability.

Those who watched him at Blackburn say he will be one of the greatest players this country has ever had. Now all he has to do is go out there and back himself. Time will tell us more after the break.