Oliver Glasner explains Crystal Palace selection for Conference League amid fixtre pile-up

Oliver Glasner says Crystal Palace are learning to embrace the pressure of their hectic fixture schedule as they prepare to host AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League.

Palace are due to play four games in the space of nine days due to their involvement in the Conference League and the Carabao Cup.

Glasner, though, is not prepared to use his side’s fixture pile-up as an excuse, with the Eagles bouncing back from a four-game winless run in all competitions with successive wins against Liverpool and Brentford.

“We love to play games,” said Glasner. “Of course, it's a lot of games, so you have to be more focused on small details. But we are happy to play.”

While Glasner is adamant Palace need to prove they are among the favourites to win the Conference League after their shock 1-0 defeat to AEK Larnaca, he knows that their fixture pile-up is a result of how far they have come during his time in charge.

“You can see the glass half full or half empty, and here it's the same,” he said. “You can complain about not playing in the Europa League, or you can be proud that Crystal Palace plays for the first time in European football history.

“It's the Conference League and it's a great achievement. It's a huge achievement for Crystal Palace, and that's why we are enjoying it.”

Complacency holds no place in Glasner’s mind, and he will name a strong side against AZ, who bounced back from a chastening 4-0 defeat to AEK Larnaca with a 1-0 win against 10-man Slovan Bratislava.

There will be changes, but with Palace’s summer signings quickly getting up to speed with the demands of Glasner’s high-intensity system, the Austrian has options to pick from as he tries to strike a balance between rotation and consistency.

“We always play with the strongest team, but that doesn't mean it's always the same players,” he said.

“We had five new players against Liverpool one week ago at Anfield. We have 18 fit on-field players available, so that means it's just not possible to change 10. It's just different from the numbers.

“I don't know if AZ is changing 10 players because I think it's one of the biggest teams in the Netherlands. Why should we do it? We want to go far in the Conference League, and therefore, we need to play our best players.”

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