Oliver Glasner to Rotate Squad for Upcoming Matches
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has announced that he will utilize two different starting line-ups for the team's next two matches in order to prioritize player welfare.
Palace is set to host Finnish side KuPS in the Europa Conference League on Thursday at 20:00 GMT, followed by a visit to Leeds in the Premier League just 48 hours later, also at 20:00 GMT on Saturday.
The match against Leeds was rescheduled by the Premier League from Sunday, as Palace is scheduled to face Arsenal in the EFL Cup quarter-final on Tuesday, December 23.
Glasner, who confirmed that Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada is expected to be sidelined for up to 10 weeks due to a hamstring injury, emphasized that it would be "irresponsible" to field the same team in both matches within such a short timeframe.
Currently, Palace sits fifth in the Premier League and ninth in the Conference League, just outside the automatic qualification spots for the knockout stage.
"No player will start against both KuPS and Leeds," Glasner stated. "I, along with the entire coaching staff, feel a strong responsibility for the players' welfare.
"I recently spoke with Will Hughes, who experienced a similar situation a few years ago when matches were scheduled back-to-back on Boxing Day and December 28. However, the intensity of the game has significantly increased since then.
"While it may be feasible to do this once, we are now approaching our 27th game of the season, and we must consider the upcoming matches on December 18, 20, 23, and 28, as well as January 1, 4, 7, and 10. Therefore, it would be irresponsible to proceed in that manner.
"We will field two completely different teams, but we will share minutes among players as much as possible.
"I always aim to put forth the strongest team from start to finish, but the demands of this schedule require us to adapt our approach, which is why we will proceed accordingly."
Kamada Faces Up to Two Months Out
Kamada was substituted after 67 minutes during Sunday's 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City.
"It is exactly as it appeared when he left the pitch," Glasner remarked. "It is a serious hamstring injury, and he will be out for at least eight to ten weeks.
"This is not what we wanted, but it is part of football and sports in general; when you play so many matches, injuries can occur.
"This is not a typical muscle injury; it was an incident related to his landing and body position—he overstretched and bore the full weight on the front, which led to the injury.
"He usually does not suffer from muscle injuries, but unfortunately, it is part of our sport."
Glasner, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season, mentioned that discussions regarding a new deal are currently on hold due to the congested fixture schedule.
"When am I supposed to discuss my contract?" he questioned.
"That is why we decided to postpone those conversations until we have the time, as it is not something that can be settled in a brief meeting.
"We want to approach it in a relaxed manner, but at the moment, there is no relaxed atmosphere, which is why we have deferred it."