Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner held a pre-match press conference ahead of the club's Premier League fixture against Manchester City. Glasner provided updates on Amine Sarr, Shadi Riad, and new signing Axel Disasi, while discussing Mateta's future and external interest in Ismaïla Sarr. He also assessed the team's reaction to the Everton defeat, the challenge posed by Erling Haaland and Manchester City, and looked ahead to his first official match at Selhurst Park. Glasner addressed player management during the transfer window, comparisons between Riad, Maresca, and Guardiola, and his expectations for Friday night's atmosphere.

How are Amine Sarr and Shadi Riad progressing with their recoveries?

Amine Sarr continues individual training due to a painful thigh strain and hasn't trained with the squad today. However, we'll prepare him based on his recovery progress. I initially thought he'd return sooner, but I'm not a doctor, so I can only wait and help get him ready to rejoin the team.

What's the situation with Riad? Has the scan come back? Do you have any updates?

We're still consulting with other specialists because it's difficult to determine a precise recovery timeline for this type of injury. So I'll wait for now, and then I'll make an official announcement for everyone.

Can Ismaïla Sarr play in Friday's match against Manchester City?

Ismaïla Sarr? No, not at all.

Oliver, you've gained new insights into the team over the past few days. The team lost the opening match to Everton—how are you feeling now? What have you learned?

The players are very disappointed, and I understand completely. It's clear what happened in that match. Everyone thought we should have scored in the first half, and if we had, the game might have gone differently. But football isn't just about deserving to win or deserving to score—you have to convert chances into actual goals. Football comes down to efficiency, and we weren't efficient enough that day. That's the result. We need to improve our ability to create chances and to finish them so we can do better.

Over the past few weeks, you've repeatedly mentioned that Crystal Palace supporters were a key reason for your decision to join the club. How much are you looking forward to your first official match at Selhurst Park?

I think it will be a special moment, but I want to enjoy it after the final whistle with good news. So in this situation, I won't be thinking about myself. What matters most is the team and the result, because we've been preparing all week hoping to make the fans happy. Of course, they'll be happy to see us, but I think they'd rather see us win.

We discussed Disasi last week, and now the signing has been officially confirmed. Why did you decide to sign him?

Everything is official now, which is good news for us, especially considering Shadi Riad's injury. That's why we signed him. He joined the squad quickly, but we had to wait a bit because, as I told you, the negotiations were difficult. Eventually, we reached an agreement with him and his club. Now he's ready and has completed his first training session since joining today. We'll see if he can play, since he hasn't featured in competitive matches at the start of the season. But he's a footballer who knows his job. We have the opportunity to give him time and help him adapt to the team.

What qualities do you like about him?

Many things. First, he can provide stability and help the team in this position because we have injured players and still need to add more. So we might need to bring in another player in this position, but with Disasi, we'll continue to observe him. He can bring confidence and experience. He has good passing ability and can play defender in multiple positions within a three-man defense system. So for us, he's a good option.

Over the past few months, there have been many reports about Mateta and this club. Clearly, his potential move to AC Milan in January fell through, which was widely reported. The BBC also reported this weekend that he questioned the validity of his contract. I understand Crystal Palace accepted the contract and he's now an officially registered Palace player, but have you spoken with him? Is he happy now? How do you view his situation?

I speak with him every day. In front of me, he's a joker—happy to be here. He gives his all in every training session. I don't see any problem between him and the club or with us. So in the last match, he played. Just imagine—if we had a problem with him, he wouldn't have played. There are some issues to resolve now, but to be clear, they may be more personal matters than issues with his player status.

Is it easy to manage a situation like this?

He certainly hasn't refused to play. He played last weekend, and he's been under contract with Crystal Palace all along. But clearly there are other things happening behind the scenes.

How should this situation be handled? Do you hope he stays after the transfer window closes?

I believe he will stay. As I've told you, he behaves like someone who's happy here, wants to be here, and is ready to play for the team throughout the season. So I understand your question, but I have no doubts.

I have a similar question about Ismaïla Sarr before we wrap up. There are reports that Liverpool FC is very interested in him. When facing interest from a big club like Liverpool, it must be difficult to keep him, right?

I understand that for anyone facing this situation, it's difficult because you go back and forth. But right now he's still with us and still has a contract. As I've said, he's currently injured, and you might link his injury to the current situation, but in my view, he's loyal and I have no problem with that. I spoke with him about this yesterday and this morning. We just hope he'll return to the pitch, and we'll let others handle the rest.

I won't throw all these different names at you one by one, but isn't it difficult to keep these excellent players you have?

As I just said, Ismaïla Sarr and Mateta have attracted clear and specific interest, and I know other clubs are interested in some of our other players too.

Do you anticipate that Crystal Palace might lose some players and need to bring in replacements?

That's football nowadays. We know that when the transfer window opens, there are many rumors and speculation around players. Some players may feel unsettled by the situation, along with their agents and families. So when you're at a club, it's not an especially good time. But after the transfer window closes, we just need to focus on our performance and let everything settle down.

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