Crystal Palace made it through to the UEFA Conference League final on Thursday after a 5-2 aggregate win over Shakhtar Donetsk.
But unless you’re an Eagles fan, or someone toasting wider English success in Europe, the result was immaterial.
Most Fantasy managers instead would have been wondering what Thursday’s match at Selhurst Park means for Gameweek 36.
Palace are one of two clubs playing twice in the upcoming Gameweek, with Manchester City also ‘doubling’.
Concerns about rotation have dented the Eagles’ appeal as we approach their Double Gameweek 36, with Oliver Glasner resting key players in three of the last four Premier League matches.
What chance of more tinkering from the Palace head coach on Sunday, then?
GLASNER ON SUNDAY’S CLASH WITH EVERTON
Glasner didn’t quite touch on the prospect of more rotation in his post-match interviews, only revealing that he had given the players a day off – and a night out in London on Thursday.
“Yes, I’ve just given them [the day] off tomorrow. One day.
“We had a good experience after the FA Cup win, and we had a bad experience after winning against Shakhtar in the first leg. We trained the next day [after Shakhtar], and I think the players were really not in good shape at Bournemouth. So, maybe this helps when they are out somewhere in London! But they deserve it. They really deserve it.
“It doesn’t mean that… we said to the players, “We don’t wave the white flag against Everton”. But I think it’s important [to give them a day off]. [With] all these emotions, they can’t sleep. It’s not possible to sleep after such a night. And so they should enjoy themselves and should sleep and should rest and then on Saturday, we will meet and prepare for Everton. Of course, it’s now getting everything planned in the right way. So, that means we [the management team] don’t have [the day] off. We will plan tomorrow.” – Oliver Glasner to TNT Sports
The Palace boss did, encouragingly, say that fatigue wasn’t an issue against Shakhtar.
“I think what we always show is 100% commitment, 100% effort. We don’t always play on our top level, but it was our 55th game today, and I think nobody looked fatigued.” – Oliver Glasner to TNT Sports
WILL WE HEAR FROM GLASNER AGAIN BEFORE THE GAMEWEEK 36 DEADLINE?
We should indeed get more quotes from Glasner on Friday, potentially in the form of an embargoed section from Thursday’s post-match presser.
The Eagles head coach will likely talk more about the Everton game then, having not touched upon Sunday’s match in the publicly available section of last night’s press conference.
