Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner attended the pre-match press conference ahead of the club's English Premier League fixture against Manchester City. Glasner provided updates on Amine Sarr, Shadi Riad, and new signing Axel Disasi. He also discussed Mateta's future and external interest in Sarr, assessed the team's reaction following the loss to Everton, addressed the challenges posed by Haaland and Manchester City under Enzo Maresca, and reflected on his first official home match at Selhurst Park. Glasner also touched on managing players during the transfer window and his expectations for the atmosphere on Friday night.

How are Amine Sarr and Shadi Riad currently recovering?

Amine Sarr is still undergoing individual training because his groin injury is very painful, so he didn't train with the team today. However, we will prepare him according to his recovery progress. I originally thought his recovery would be faster, but after all, I'm not a doctor, so I can only wait for him and help him get ready to rejoin the team.

How is Riad? Have the scan results come out? Any updates?

Currently, we still need to get another opinion from a specialist, as it's difficult to give an accurate recovery timeline for this type of injury. So I prefer to wait first, and then I will announce the official conclusion to everyone.

Is it possible for Sarr to play in Friday's match against Manchester City?

Amine Sarr? No, impossible.

Oliver, what new insights have you gained about the team in the past few days? The team lost its first match to Everton. How do you feel now? What have you learned?

The players were very frustrated, and I can understand that. They clearly knew what happened in the match, especially since everyone felt we should have scored in the first half. If we had done that, the game might have unfolded differently. But football isn't just about whether you deserve to win or score; you have to actually convert chances into goals. Football ultimately depends on efficiency, and we weren't efficient enough then. That's the result of the game. We must improve our ability to create chances and also our ability to score them.

You've mentioned multiple times in recent weeks that the Crystal Palace fans were a significant reason for your decision to join the club. How much are you looking forward to your first official home game at Selhurst Park?

I think it will be a wonderful moment, but I'd rather enjoy that wonderful moment at the end of the game, with a positive result. So in this situation, I won't be thinking about myself. The most important thing is the team and the result, because we've been preparing for it 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?

Now everything is official, which is good news for us, especially considering Shadi Riad's injury. That's exactly why he was signed. He joined the team quickly, but we had to wait for a while before because, as I told you, negotiations were difficult. Finally, we reached an agreement with him and his club. He is ready and completed his first training session today. We'll see if he can play, as he hasn't featured in any official matches at the start of the season. But he is a football player and knows his role. We have the opportunity to give him time and help him integrate into the team.

What qualities do you like about him?

Many. First, his ability to provide stability and help the team in this position, especially with our injuries and our need to add a defender.

We might need to bring in another player in this position. But for Disasi, we will continue to assess him. He gives us confidence and brings experience. He has good ball-playing ability and can play in different defensive positions in a back-three system. So for us, he is a good option.

In recent months, there have been many reports about Mateta and this club. Obviously, his failed transfer to AC Milan in January was widely reported. The BBC also reported this weekend that he questioned the validity of his contract. I know Crystal Palace recognizes this contract, and he is currently officially registered as a Crystal Palace player. But have you spoken to him? Is he happy now? What do you think of his situation?

I talk to him every day. In front of me, he is a funny person who is happy to be here. He gives his all in every training session. I haven't seen any issues between him and the club. So in the last match, he started. You can imagine, if we had problems with him, he wouldn't have started. Now there's an issue that needs to be resolved, but to be precise, it might be a personal matter for him, not a player issue.

Is it easy to manage such a situation?

He clearly didn't refuse to play and participated in the match last weekend. He has always been under contract with Crystal Palace. But obviously, there are still some things happening behind the scenes.

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

I think he will stay. As I told you, he acts like someone who is happy here, wants to stay here, and is ready to play for the entire season. So I understand your question, but I have no doubts about it.

I have a similar question about Amine Sarr. Just before we started the interview, there were reports that Liverpool had strong interest in him. When this happens, facing the pursuit of a big club like Liverpool, does it inevitably become difficult to keep him?

I also understand that for anyone encountering such links, it's difficult because you hesitate repeatedly. But currently, he is still with us and still under contract. As I said, he is injured now, and you might connect his injury with the current situation, but in my opinion, he is honest, and I have no problem with that. I spoke to him about this this morning and yesterday too. We just hope he can get back on the pitch, and others will handle the rest.

Will it be difficult to keep all these good players you have?

As I just mentioned, Sarr and Mateta have received clear and specific attention, and I know other clubs are also interested in other players.

Do you anticipate that Crystal Palace might lose some of these players and need to bring in others to replace them?

That's how football is now. We know that when the transfer window opens, there's a lot of activity and various things surrounding players. Some players might not be comfortable with this situation, and neither are agents and families. So when you're inside the club, it's not a particularly good time. But once the transfer window closes, we just need to focus on our performance and wait for it all to end.

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