Crystal Palace Prepares for Uefa Conference League Play-off Against Fredrikstad
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed that Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi will start in the Uefa Conference League play-off match against Fredrikstad, emphasizing their commitment to the team.
Negotiations are ongoing between Liverpool and Crystal Palace regarding a potential £35 million transfer of England defender Guehi, 25, before the transfer deadline. Meanwhile, Tottenham is also interested in acquiring Palace's England forward Eze, 27, ahead of the September 1 deadline.
Both players featured in the recent 0-0 draw against Chelsea and are expected to play again when the Norwegian side Fredrikstad visits Selhurst Park on Thursday at 20:00 BST.
Glasner addressed the situation on Wednesday, stating, "Many of you were surprised that Eze and Guehi started against Chelsea, and you may be surprised that they start tomorrow, but they are committed to the team. They will play a crucial part for as long as they are here, and if they leave, they want to leave as players who gave 100% to Crystal Palace."
Eze and Guehi were instrumental in Palace's FA Cup victory last season, marking the club's first major trophy. Their potential departures would be significant losses, but goalkeeper Dean Henderson remains optimistic about the team's prospects. "We have lost players in the past and we survived through that," Henderson remarked. "Even when we lost Michael Olise, we followed it up with the best-ever season in 119 years of the club. You have got to trust the manager and the process, and we will be very fine."
Glasner also shared the team's determination to "enjoy" their participation in the Conference League following a failed appeal against demotion from the Europa League. The Eagles qualified for the Europa League after winning the FA Cup, but Uefa imposed sanctions for breaching multi-club ownership rules. "This is the last time I will respond to this question," Glasner added during his pre-match press conference. "We shouldn’t talk about it any more; we can’t change it. We deserve to play in the Europa League as FA Cup champions, but it was decided that we would be demoted, so we will prepare. This is the first time European football will be played at Selhurst Park, and this is our reward for winning the FA Cup. Many fans did not expect us to play European football, so this is our approach."
Fredrikstad currently sits in eighth place in Norway's top division.