The Oliver Glasner Newcastle United Press Conference has taken place.
The Crystal Palace boss speaking to the media ahead of Saturday afternoon’s match at Selhurst Park.
Palace looking to improve on a record of one win in 12 Premier League matches this season.
Whilst at home, Glasner’s side have only scored three goals in six PL games at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace official media reporting on the Oliver Glasner pre-match press conference ahead of facing Newcastle United:
Oliver Glasner says Ebere Eze is ready to return for Crystal Palace for the visit of Newcastle this weekend, with several other players nearing a return to full fitness.
“We are like the weather: lovely,” the manager joked at his pre-match press conference. “The draw at Villa gave us confidence, and we had a really good week in training.
“Players are coming back, players have had one more week of training after returning from injuries, so it was very positive.
“Ebere [Eze] will be in the squad tomorrow, and Eddie Nketiah as well. We worked pretty hard on their rehab, and also the medical staff did an amazing job, so that’s why they are available earlier than expected.
“Both had a good week. But it’s the same with other players, like Cheick Doucouré who returned last week, they are out for several weeks but it’s good when we enter a three game week that players are back, so now we have a better situation in the squad.”
Palace take on Ipswich and Manchester City after welcoming Newcastle, with Glasner aware that he will need to call upon his wider squad throughout a busy period.
“It gives us more possibilities – tomorrow, then it will be the same at Ipswich, and then we play City, so it’s a very intense week,” he explained.
“We speak about high intensity, but Newcastle, Ipswich and us are the three teams playing with the highest intensity in the last weeks, and that is what I expect from those games.
“We need all the players on the top level. I know Ebere can’t play all three games over 90 minutes, so it’s good that he is back, and the same with Eddie. We have to manage the minutes they get, but it’s good just to have the opportunity when you need it.
“It looks like in every game it’s very similar, that the games get decided in the last 15 or 20 minutes – the crunch time – and therefore it’s good to have players available.
“Overall the situation is a bit better, but again you can’t be on the top level if you are out for several weeks. I don’t know any player who comes back and is straight on the same level as he was before.
“They need the training time, they need the game time, to get back to their top level.”
With the chaotic Christmas period about to get underway, Glasner explained that managing his squad will be among his top priorities while searching for results.
“It’s pretty clear, and I told everyone, every player who starts must be able to perform on his top level, otherwise he doesn’t start,” he said. “Then it’s a question of how long he can do this.
“We tell every player not to manage the game. We don’t want them to play with 80 percent, and then he can play longer, we want everybody to play from the first second, as long as it’s possible with his highest intensity, and if it’s possible for 45 minutes we will sub him at half-time, if it’s possible for 60 minutes we will sub him after 60 minutes, and it’s the same.
“It depends on the performance: if we think a player from the bench can help the team more than the player on the pitch in this situation, we will sub him.”