Football UEFA Conference League Transfers

Oliver Glasner: Crystal Palace 'have to' keep hold of Marc Guehi for UEFA Conference League second leg after manager confirms Eberechi Eze exit

React to this story

Oliver Glasner confirmed that Crystal Palace would be losing Eberechi Eze after the England international asked to sit out his club's 1-0 win over Fredrikstad in the UEFA Conference League play-offs. But one player that the Palace manager believes is indispensable for The Eagles trip to Norway is captain Marc Guehi, who has been the subject of transfer rumours throughout the summer.

Highlights: Palace win Community Shield on penalties after Ekitike scores first Liverpool goal

Video credit: TNT Sports

Oliver Glasner insisted that Crystal Palace cannot afford to lose captain Marc Guehi ahead of The Eagle's UEFA Conference League play-off second leg against Fredrikstad.

The first leg was decided by a solitary goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta, who struck in the 54th minute to give The Eagles a slender 1-0 advantage ahead of the return leg in Norway.

But post-match celebrations were tempered by the news from Glasner that he did not expect Eberechi Eze to remain at the club, and the 27-year-old is not the only Palace player rumoured to be moving on.

Transfers

MLS announces investigation into tampering as Casemiro joins Inter Miami

23/07/2026 at 14:26

Guehi has been linked to the likes of Liverpool this summer, but Glasner laid bare his squad's lack of depth in his post-match press conference.

"For us now, it's very, very late. It's 10 days to go to find the right replacements, so again, I think we could have done much better than we already did," said Glasner.

"It's no criticism, it's just telling facts. This group of players is really working so hard every single game. Today we had 17 on-field players available. One [is] from the academy, two players we already told that they should leave the club, so that means we have 14.

"Having six games from August 10 until 31 and this group, I know we can rely on them; I trust them completely. But it's really, let's say, not the best way you should start the season."

And asked specifically about the future of his skipper, Glasner said there was "no other chance" but to keep the England international for Palace's upcoming fixtures.

"We have to [keep him], especially for the second leg," Glasner told Channel 5. "No injured player will come back and we cannot register anyone, so we have to keep him.

"We already rested Chris Richards and Ty Mitchell who had small problems. There is no other chance than keeping Marc for these games. He knows it, everybody knows it.

"If we want to compete in all of these competitions we need players, that is pretty clear."

Also interviewed post-match about the immediate future of Guehi, chairman Steve Parish suggested that should the centre-half refuse to sign a contract, he might be forced to sell him.

"If Marc wants to sign a contract, then he can stay. If he doesn't sign a contract, then we have to look at it.

"It is a difficult situation. Every club like us, and particularly if you are in Europe, the financial rules are a lot tighter than in the Premier League. You're seeing it. Everybody has to sell players to comply with the rules.

"Players leaving on a free is not an ideal situation for the football club. I'm not going to pretend that it is. So that's a situation we'll have to look at over the next 11 days."

Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

Premier League