With just one game remaining before the World Cup break, Crystal Palace will no doubt be planning some of their business ahead of the January transfer window, and Patrick Vieira must surely be considering selling Will Hughes.

The English midfielder joined the Eagles from Watford in the summer of 2021 but has struggled for regular football at Selhurst Park since then, with just 28 appearances to his name, in which he has only one goal and one assist.

After making 16 appearances in the Premier League last term, in which he averaged a disappointing 6.53 rating from WhoScored for his performances, it was perhaps always likely that he would find his opportunities limited throughout 2022/23.

The summer addition of Cheick Doucoure has seen Hughes drop out of the first team almost entirely, with just 72 minutes of Premier League action under his belt so far this season.

The former Derby County star has also featured in the Premier League 2, which suggests that he is surplus to requirements in Vieira's squad, so the Frenchman should surely look to move him on.

Considering Hughes earns £54k-per-week at Selhurst Park, he is certainly stealing a wage at the moment, and chances will be even harder for the midfielder to come by if Vieira adds another option in his position in the January window.

Hughes' contract with the Eagles is set to expire at the end of the next campaign so selling him in the next year should be a priority for Vieira, otherwise, he risks shelling out an excessive wage on an unwanted player, before potentially losing him for nothing at the end of his deal.

The former Arsenal midfielder was full of praise for the 27-year-old last season after an impressive performance against Everton on his first start for the club.

He said: “I was really pleased with Will’s performance. He helped us to play really well with our build-up play from the back.

“For somebody who played their last game seven months ago, he had an unbelievable performance.”

However, those performances have been few and far between for Hughes at Palace and given his lack of game time so far this season, Vieira must surely look to move him on after the World Cup.