Topics: Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Premier League, Transfers
A frustrated Oliver Glasner offered an apology in his latest press conference before revealing why Eberechi Eze was absent from Crystal Palace's Conference League play-off game.
It appears Eze has played his last game for Palace after he was left out of their first-ever European game ahead of a proposed move to Arsenal.
The 27-year-old winger, who is set to undergo a medical on Friday ahead of a reported £68 million move to the Gunners, is said to have called Glasner on Thursday morning to say he was unavailable for selection.
But a day earlier, Glasner suggested Eze and Marc Guehi, another player who is being strongly linked with a move away, would start in the Conference League play-off clash against Fredrikstad.
Advert
"Most of you will be surprised that they will start again [on Thursday] because of all the rumours," he said in his pre-match press conference.
"They are good, they are committed to the team. When one of the players will leave they want to leave as the guys who always gave 100 per cent for Crystal Palace."
Eze was soon left out of the game and unsurprisingly, Glasner was asked why in his press conference, shortly after Palace recorded a 1-0 win thanks to a 54th-minute winner from Jean-Phillipe Mateta.
"I have to apologise to all of you because I didn’t tell the truth yesterday," he began.
"I thought he would play. He called me and said he didn’t feel well. You have to ask him (why), maybe in a few days. No (I don’t think he will play for the club again)."
As you can see from the footage below, Glasner would go on to lament the club's business in the transfer window.
"We are very late, there are 10 days to go to find the right replacements," he said. "Again, we could’ve done much better than we did. It’s no criticism, it’s just telling facts, this group is working so hard.
"I know we can rely on this group, but it’s really not the best way to start into the season. No defeat, that’s all good, but I think we are below the edge."
Glasner was once again prodded on Eze and continued to be asked what Palace must do in the final days of the window.
"It’s clear now I can’t do anything," he said. "I can’t sign the players. We have to act. This is Crystal Palace's future. We need the right players."
"The profile is defined for months," added Glasner. "It’s not surprising Ebs left."
