CRYSTAL Palace boss Oliver Glasner has explained why he won’t heavily rotate his side for their last Premier League game of the season against Arsenal despite the Eagles’ Europa Conference League final taking place just three days later.
Palace face Mikel Arteta’s Gunners at Selhurst Park on Sunday before travelling to Leipzig in Germany to take on Spanish La Liga side Rayo Vallecano the following Wednesday.
There is little for either side to play for on the final day of the Premier League campaign. Palace can finish between fourteenth and sixteenth. Arteta’s side were confirmed as this season’s champions after Manchester City could only draw 1-1 at Bournemouth on Tuesday evening.
Glasner was asked about his plans for the Arsenal clash after last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Brentford.
“I was travelling a lot because I watched Vallecano in Valencia on Thursday, so I had many hours on a plane and in a hotel, and I thought about it,” Glasner said. “I want to stop this talking.
“So we won’t rotate a lot. Yes, we will maybe make more and earlier substitutions, maybe after 60, 70 minutes latest, maybe one or two at half-time if that’s possible, but everything else we won’t do.”
Glasner is dealing with potential injury problems. Chadi Riad and Chris Richards picked up knocks against the Bees, the latter hobbling off after coming on in the 61st minute.
Another centre-back, Maxence Lacroix, also had an issue but Glasner was positive the trio would be fit for the final.
“I think Riad is no issue, just cramping,” Glasner said. “Maxence, I think is not a problem. Chris, I don’t know, I think his ankle is quite swollen so let’s see. We have one week until the Arsenal game and ten days until the final so I think he will be available.”
Adam Wharton scored his first goal for Palace to put the side 2-1 up at the Gtech Stadium after Dango Ouattara had levelled following Ismaila Sarr’s opener.
Ouattara scored a second equaliser with two minutes left.
Glasner added: “We played midweek, Brentford only play weekends, it was a fantastic performance and I’m really pleased with the mentality of this group. We want to keep our standard high against Arsenal. We have to manage the minutes and this is how we will go into the last ten days.”
