- Dean Henderson set to start against Fiorentina
- Why the Conference League should be prioritised
- Possible route to the final
Walter Benitez has started three of Crystal Palace’s European Conference League games this season and has been a pretty solid deputee for new club captain Dean Henderson.
However, as we have seen at Arsenal in both the League Cup final and the FA Cup quarter-final, there comes a point when the priority must shift from fairness to winning, which means playing your best players.
Henderson has been one of the most consistent and best-performing goalkeepers in the Premier League season, and is certainly staking a claim as the best goalkeeper in Palace’s history, along with names such as Nigel Martyn and Julian Speroni.
Called up to the England squad once again in the recent International break, Henderson missed the first game due to illness, but made the bench for the Three Lions’ 1-0 loss to Japan.
With no fresh health or injury issues raised in Oliver Glasner’s press conference, Henderson simply must start against Fiorentina.
Time to put all the eggs into the Conference League basket
With Palace’s Premier League status all but secured for what will be a 14th consecutive season, it seems almost certain that all efforts should be focused on winning the Conference League.
Not only would it bring another trophy to South London and see Glasner’s reign end in yet more success, but it would also grant the club another season of European football – this time the Europa League, and this time it won’t be snatched away due to any complex ownership loopholes.
On Wednesday morning, it was confirmed that the fifth-placed Premier League side would qualify for the Champions League, which could see European places trickle as low as eighth, a position not out of reach for Palace, who currently sit 14th, just 7 points behind Everton.
However, with a congested Premier League table and the sides above Palace continuing to perform well, the likelihood of European qualification via the league is slim, perhaps the result of that long winless run during the Winter.
A huge chance to lift silverware
Therefore, it makes sense to prioritise Europe, no less because the chance of success is seriously strong. If Palace are to beat Fiorentina across the two legs and reach the semi-finals, they will face either Shakhtar Donetsk or AZ Alkmaar, the side Glasner’s team brushed aside 3-1 in the league phase.
A rematch against RC Strasbourg would be the likely fixture should Palace make the final, and despite losing that game, Palace were unfortunate, missing two open goals and a handful of chances.
Before fans begin to fantasise about Leipzig, though, there are two games to get through first, and it’s vital that Glasner selects the strongest teams available to him.
