Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner ready for 'challenge' against in-form Leeds

Glasner speaks to the media
Glasner speaks to the mediaJohn Walton / PA Images / Profimedia

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has spoken to the media as his face come up against Leeds United.

Palace head into the clash two points adrift of Chelsea and level with three sides below them in Sunderland, Liverpool and Manchester United

The Eagles have never beaten Leeds in back-to-back top-flight games before and will head to Elland Road on Saturday night seeking to make history. 

Team news

Glasner firstly spoke on team news and whether the same starting eleven will play at Leeds and Arsenal and the Austrian joked that he would have to be a magician to have such knowledge.

 "If I know this, I would be David Copperfield, and I told you on day one I'm not. 

"I don't know what happens at Leeds, to be honest, so I know, fortunately, we have no injury from (KuPS match). So that means we have our 16 on-field players available, and then we will pick two from our under-21s, have these 18 plus the goalkeepers. 

"Everything can happen, but if nothing happens the 11 players who did not start (in Conference League) they will start at Leeds, and then I don't know what happens there and who will be available for the Arsenal game." 

However, Glasner was happy to name the team he plans on starting at Elland Road, telling the pre-match media conference: "It's easy. Dean Henderson, Marc Guéhi, Lacroix, Richards, Mitchell, Hughes, Wharton, Clyne, Pino, Nketiah, Mateta."

Leeds will be a tough test

Leeds came from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw with Brentford last weekend as they avoided dropping into the relegation zone once again.  

Glasner also said he expected to face a hardened Leeds side as he comes up against manager Daniel Farke who extended their streak without defeat to three games at the Gtech Community Stadium. 

"I would have preferred to play them not within 48 hours, but no," he added. "They have changed to a 3-5-2. 

"I know Daniel Farke quite well from Germany. He's a fantastic coach and a fantastic person. 

"They have a nice structure. We have had to prepare and we watched them in advance. It's a good team. They had more than 100 points in the Championship (last season), so you need to be good. And they've added a few players now. 

"The two strikers, (Dominic) Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor who I know from Red Bull Salzburg, a very quick player. 

"I think it's a good combination. One is tall, with a great header, the other one very quick. It's a very good team. 

"It will be a nice challenge for us." 

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