Oliver Glasner has ruled out Matheus Franca featuring in Crystal Palace’s FA Cup tie against Doncaster next week.

The 20-year-old has been sidelined for eight months due to a groin injury but has been progressing towards a return and enjoyed an unscathed training week.

Glasner is considering including Franca in the matchday squad to face Manchester United on Sunday.

Although he may be named on the bench, the Palace boss is unwavering in his demand for the 20-year-old to play for the Under-21s before receiving substantial minutes for the first team.

Palace’s next Under-21s game falls on the same evening as the senior side's FA Cup fourth-round tie against Doncaster.

In an attempt to give Franca minutes in a controlled environment, the Brazilian attacker will travel with the academy rather than the senior side.

Glasner insisted that whether Franca is named on the bench against Manchester United will not have any bearing on their plan to run him out in the Under-21s.

“It does not mean he won’t play for the Under-21s, they have a game on the 10th when we play Doncaster.

“If he can stay in the same training rhythm that we are doing, then maybe he gets more minutes.

“We have to look at what is best for the player. He should play the Under-21s game, not the FA Cup.

“With the Under-21s we can say: ‘Oh, he doesn’t feel well, let's sub him off’. Whereas, in an FA Cup game, where you want to get into the next round, we can’t do it because we might have used all of our subs and have to play the rest of the game with ten men.

“In an academy game, it is easier to manage the minutes – we need to make sure he gets good feedback and feels well. He is doing well in training, that is always the first part.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford, Glasner shared that he is contemplating naming Franca on the bench because of his limited attacking options.

“Our squad is small at the moment,” Glasner said. “No new player was registered before 12 o’clock, which means no new player can play at United.

“We are training with 19 outfield players and Caleb Kporha and Kaden Rodney from the Under-21s. That means, if everything is fine, one player stays at home.

“It is about taking the decision regarding if something happens who would be the first replacement in different positions.

“My mindset, I would never take a striker off and bring on a defender, I did it once and went from leading a game to a draw. Usually, I want more attackers on the bench because they can have more influence on the game.

“I have not spoken to him about how he feels; I will tomorrow and take a final decision [as to whether he will be in the squad].”