CRAWLEY, ENGLAND – JULY 25: Crystal Palace Manager Oliver Glasner looks on ahead of the pre-season friendly match between Crawley Town and Crystal Palace at Broadfield Stadium on July 25, 2025 in Crawley, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner spoke to the microphones of TNT Sport before kick-off against Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals.
The Austrian coach discussed his team’s progress in training, as well as providing updates on returning stars Jean-Phillipe Mateta, Daniel Munoz and Dean Henderson.
“They trained fully, Dean was ill before the international break and JP [Mateta] and Daniel were managing their minutes. Of course they are starters but we still have to manage Mateta’s knee and so it’s good Strand Larsen comes back for the Newcastle game.
“It’s always good to have many options because as we saw at Larnaca, we needed Strand Larsen and Mateta up front to help us score goals so it’s good to have many options.
Crystal Palace vs Fiorentina – Glasner: ‘We are refreshed and ready’
Asked about how he was feeling, and how the squad have been doing in training, Glasner said
“Yes we’re feeling refreshed. We made the best of it. Many players played for their national team and we had an in-house game so everyone can stay in rhythm with a good week in training.
“Yes I feel relaxed, the players give me a good feeling. We had a great week in training but on the other hand, we know the most important part is after the kick off, how we perform. But the preparation is very good.”
Glasner’s Crystal Palace come into the game with extra rest compared to Fiorentina, who played at the weekend. The English club have not played since before the international break, with many English clubs given an extra week of rest due to the FA Cup weekend.
