Christantus Uche’s ‘limited participation’ at Crystal Palace so far highlights a ‘growing issue in football’.

That’s according to Estadio Deportivo, who cover the Crystal Palace loanee today and his lack of minutes so far.

Uche joined Palace at the end of the summer transfer window from Getafe. He’s currently on loan, but the deal includes a mandatory purchase clause if the midfielder plays in 10 games. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll return to Getafe.

It’s early in the season yet but Uche has endured a slow start to life with the Eagles, with two appearances so far totalling 51 minutes of action. He was again an unused substitute in the 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv.

That ‘highlights a growing issue in football’ according to Estadio; mental health and managing expectations. They argue that although many young players train intensively, only a small percentage reach the elite level. They even cite a study by the University of Essex on the issue. That found only 4% of teenagers make it to the top flight.

Uche is one of them but he’s facing the prospect of a season of limited minutes at the moment. His chances...