'I feel responsible' - Premier League boss makes startling team selection admission for Leeds United clash
Leeds United’s upcoming Elland Road visitors Crystal Palace have a busy schedule to manage this month.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has revealed there will be wholesale changes for his side between games against KuPS and Leeds United next week.
Leeds welcome Palace to Elland Road next Saturday in what will be the visitor’s fourth game over the next 10 days. Glasner’s side face Shelbourne in the Europa Conference League this evening before a Sunday-afternoon trip to Manchester City and the visit of Finnish outfit KuPS to Selhurst Park in seven day’s time.
Palace were initially due at Elland Road next Sunday but requested the game be brought forward due to their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal the following Tuesday. That request was granted by the Premier League which means there are now just 48 hours separating their meeting with KuPS and trip to Leeds.
Glasner is already having to cope without several first-team players, with attacking wing-back Daniel Munoz the latest casualty having undergone surgery on a knee injury. Palace have just 15 senior players available at present but their head coach will not be forcing two games in three days upon anyone next week.
“It would be a little bit easier to rest 10 or 12 players for the KuPS game next week,” Glasner said. “I won't start anybody on Thursday evening and then on Saturday evening [at Leeds] because I feel responsible for the players' welfare. This would make it a little bit easier with a win.”
At present, it feels more likely Palace will go full strength at Elland Road but their result at Shelbourne this evening could change things. Glasner’s side have two games left of their Europa Conference League group phase but an inconsistent campaign on the continent has left them needing results.
Crystal Palace fixture dilemma ahead of Leeds United trip
The new league phase means only the top eight automatically qualify for the knockout phases, with positions nine to 24 having to go through a play-off round in February. Palace are currently 18th, meaning anything but victory at Shelbourne could leave them needing a win at home to KuPS just two days before they face Leeds at Elland Road.
“To be among the top 8, we need more than three points,” Glasner added. “Right now, when I see our schedule, it's just important to get qualified. If we have to play the knockout qualification round at the end of February, I don't worry about it because it's so far away.
“If it is, we take the play-off at the end of February. When you come with 15 players and you have 10 games in three weeks, we have to focus on this period. Not the end of February because it's so far away, it doesn't matter.”
Leeds will no doubt have a keen eye on Glasner’s team selection for next week’s European meeting with KuPS, given the likelihood of mass rotation come Saturday’s Elland Road meeting. Alongside Munoz, star winger Ismaila Sarr is also set to miss out with an ankle injury while top-scorer Jean-Phillipe Mateta has been managing a knee complaint for several weeks.