Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has confirmed both Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi will start in their Europa Conference League qualifier against Fredrikstad on Thursday.
Both players have been heavily linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, with reports going so far as to suggest Eze’s move to Tottenham is almost complete.
Meanwhile, Guehi has been lined up for a move to Liverpool; however, that deal seems less advanced than his team-mate’s switch to North London.
Despite the speculation, Glasner has once again confirmed both will play the Eagles’ next match, as they look to qualify for the league phase of the European competition having lost their place in the Europa League to Nottingham Forest.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Glasner said: “The player [Eze] gives 100% because he is under contract. We don’t have to say thank you every day, he is getting a few pounds every week.
“Many of you were surprised he and Marc [Guehi] started against Chelsea, you may be surprised they start tomorrow, but they are committed to the team.
“They will play a crucial part for as long as they are here they are committed to the team. If they leave, they want to leave as the guys who gave 100% to Crystal Palace.”
Guehi’s snub
Guehi also made headlines on Sunday after he seemingly refused to acknowledge Glasner post-match following Palace’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea.
Unsurprisingly, it sparked plenty of rumours, but the head coach has clarified the situation.
He added: “There has been so much nonsense written. I have not met many colleagues more ambitious than me – Marc is one of them, and he was upset on Sunday.
“He was emotional after this game, exhausted. He was disappointed the goal was disallowed, that we did not win. It was written in a negative way, I see it as the opposite.
“This shows the development of Crystal Palace in the last few years, that we are not happy with just a draw at Chelsea.”
European dream
Palace have had the sympathies of most of the footballing world after they lost their spot in the Europa League for 2025-26.
Having qualified by beating Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup final, UEFA demoted the club to the third tier due to multi-club ownership rules, with shareholder John Textor also have a stake in Lyon – also in the Europa League.
Palace appealed the decision, but were unsuccessful. Now, they will play in the third tier, where they are one of the favourites to win the competition.
Glasner added: “We shouldn’t talk about it any more, we can’t change it. This is the last time I will respond to this question.
“We deserve to play Europa League, we are the FA Cup champions. But, it was decided we would be demoted, so we will prepare.
“It is the first time Euro football will be played at Selhust, this is our reward for winning the FA Cup and we will enjoy it. Many fans did not expect us to play European football, so this is our approach.
“It is important to stay humble, goal one is to qualify for the group stage. It is our first time in this competition, like every competition we want to go and win it. If we can do it, I don’t know.
“I was at Wolfsburg, we lost in Europa League qualifiers to AEK Athens. So we always want to qualify, that is the goal. The final is too far away.”
