- Crystal Palace face Shakhtar Donetsk
- Six candidates in mind to replace Oliver Glasner
- Evann Guesssand still out injured
Crystal Palace’s European adventure continues tonight when they face Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final. It’s been a special campaign for the Eagles thus far and they are close to reaching the final in Leipzig.
Tonight’s encounter with Shakhtar takes place at the Henryk-Reyman Stadium in Krakow, Poland. Kickoff is at 8 pm GMT, and all other details are included in our match preview.
Oliver Glasner has also spoken ahead of the game and he’s urged his players to show their “identity” and be confident in their abilities. The Austrian’s words really serve as a reminder of just how incredible he is at galvanising the troops.
Crystal Palace Take to Poland
Palace’s Conference League campaign has seen them fly around Europe and ultimately enjoy a superb debut in European competition. The height of it thus far was on home turf when Glasner’s men beat Fiorentina 3-0 in the first leg of the quarter-finals.
Shakhtar are tricky opposition, given that they sit top of their domestic league and are enjoying a fine run of form. They also finished above the Eagles during the league phase and are coached by former Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan.
Palace are still favourites to prevail over the two legs, and Glasner is boosted by Tyrick Mitchell’s availability. The English left-wing-back came off at half time in a 3-1 loss to Liverpool last Saturday but an Achilles issue has subsided.
Six on Palace’s List
Glasner will be taking charge of his last games as Palace manager tonight. He departs when his contract expires at the end of the season.
A report from The Independent claims that there are six candidates on the club’s radar to succeed the Austrian. That includes Coventry City’s Frank Lampard, Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and the departing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
Palace don’t often pay compensation for managerial appointments and, as such, might look at coaches available. They are also weighing up Ruben Amorim and Thomas Frank, both sacked by Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year.
Guessand Out
The unfortunate news for Palace and Glasner is that Evann Guessand isn’t fit in time for tonight’s game. The Ivorian has been recovering from a knee injury suffered in the win over Fiorentina earlier this month.
Glasner confirmed his status but did suggest the Aston Villa loanee could be available for the second leg at home next week. He has impressed since joining on loan in January and reports claim the club are likely to sign him permanently.
Guessand’s absence gives Yeremy Pino another chance to prove his worth. The Villarreal man will be expected to start against Shakhtar and could be the one who delivers on the night.
