Crystal Palace are close to signing 16-year-old left-back Harris Afzal - dubbed the next Andy Robertson - from Queen's Park. (TeamTalk, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Alex Pewter
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesThis week, Crystal Palace are one of the five remaining English teams left in European competitions, and nationally, probably the fifth-most important.
Demotion from the Europa League has meant that while Palace fans have endured the trials and tribulations of Uefa's third-ranked club competition, it has been a minor blip on the radar to a much wider audience.
Even on Thursday itself, the allure of Porto v Nottingham Forest and Bologna v Aston Villa may draw the media's focus, and for the Conference League, rightly or wrongly, the assumption is that the Premier League entrant should be competing for honours - the story only becomes interesting if a team makes it to the final.
Nonetheless, from the Palace fan standpoint, the arrival of Fiorentina at Selhurst Park marks the first time a club of this stature has travelled to SE25 in the Conference League.
For dedicated or casual watchers of Football Italia in the 1990s, Serie A and teams like Fiorentina hold a special place in our football experience. In an era when glimpses of most international talent were restricted to selected Champions League games and international tournaments, the stars in Italy were as accessible as Premier League players were on Match of the Day.
This iteration of Fiorentina may not be the team of Gabriel Batistuta and Rui Costa, and because of the cross-pollination between European leagues, there are many familiar names and faces within the opposing squad. Still, this match marks the start of the business end of the competition. The metaphorical slate can be wiped clean of low-block football that has haunted Oliver Glasner throughout the competition.
Palace are four matches away from a potential final in Leipzig and Thursday is the first opportunity to see how they intend to meet that challenge.
Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast, external
Former Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson says he does not have "as much sympathy maybe as the guy in the street" when it comes to the current Eagles boss Oliver Glasner.
On Glasner's frustrations with players being sold, Hodgson told the Wayne Rooney Show: "I think his reward [for winning the FA Cup] is the status and the reputation it has given him.
"If you're Crystal Palace - I'm sorry - I'll give you the names of three players: [Michael] Olise certainly is up there with Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard amongst the best players I've ever worked with.
"Marc Guehi is up there with Gerrard, Rooney and John Terry amongst the best players I've ever worked with and there's Eberechi Eze - he's up there too.
"Now you're pretty lucky if you come to a club and you've got those players - that is half a chance really.
"I accepted in the five years I spent at Crystal Palace that there wasn't money to spend. He wasn't going to buy many players. If we did produce one as we did with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, he's not going to stay.
"I don't have as much sympathy maybe as the guy in the street and don't forget they have spent £150m quite recently on making the squad bigger.
"What amazes me to some extent is, you look at the bench and four or five of the players who have cost a lot of money, that's where they are. We never had that luxury. "
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Manchester United will look to add two new central midfielders to their squad this summer, with Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson and Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali all under consideration. (Givemesport), external
Crystal Palace are believed to be moving on to other managerial targets as Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is unlikely to make the switch to Selhurst Park. (Sky Sports), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
Ellie Killick
Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images"England's number one' is a phrase that has echoed around Selhurst Park in recent seasons, a reflection of just how highly regarded Dean Henderson is among Crystal Palace fans.
Yet since making his international debut in 2020 he has only made four appearances for the Three Lions.
After becoming the England manager back in January 2025, Thomas Tuchel made it very clear every player has to fight for their position, with no exception for the goalkeepers.
Since his introduction in 2017 Jordan Pickford has held that number one shirt with little genuine pressure, but now with the World Cup approaching, that certainty may finally be under threat.
A major reason for that is Henderson's growing influence in Europe. Crystal Palace's Conference League campaign has offered him a stage he has rarely had before.
He is not alone with Manchester City's James Trafford also emerging as a serious contender after making his senior England debut last Friday against Uruguay, although the 23-year-old represents more potential for the future than someone ready to take the number one shirt this summer.
In the Premier League Henderson has played three less games than his competitor, Pickford, keeping just one less clean sheet with 10 and conceding the same amount of goals totalling to 35.
Despite being part of tournament squads before, Henderson is yet to establish himself on the world stage.
Experience, particularly in high-pressure international fixtures, remains an area where Pickford still holds a clear advantage.
However, what strengthens Henderson's case is his proven ability in defining moments for his club.
Most notably the historical FA Cup win over Manchester City last May, and now in Europe he is showcasing it again with Palace progressing to the quarter-finals.
While he is basically all but guaranteed a spot on the plane, hopefully alongside Adam Wharton, the question now is whether those moments will be enough to convince Tuchel that Henderson is ready to shift England's goalkeeping hierarchy.
Find more from Ellie Killick at Eagle Eye View, external
La Liga side Villarrael want to sign Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr this summer. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Alex Pewter
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesCrystal Palace may not be immediately playing following the international break, but that does not mean Palace players will not be.
In 2025-26, a record number of academy players have appeared in the Championship on loan - five in total - with a sixth non-academy prospect, Romain Esse, currently with leaders Coventry City.
Building success for the academy via loan pathways has been a growing project for the club, without a proven case study to point towards. The two homegrown success stories after promotion, Tyrick Mitchell and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, were dropped into the deep end in the Premier League.
The question is now, with the current crop of loanees, how can the club capitalise on these moves. Even if the player ultimately does not make it to the highest level, proving yourself as a capable player in the second tier is still a marker of success. Opta currently ranks the Championship as the 10th strongest in the world.
In that vein, players such as David Ozoh, in his second year at Derby County, Tayo Adaramola at Sheffield Wednesday and Danny Imray at West Bromwich Albion would be players likely to head to the exit in the summer, having added to their CV. Any return on those players would certainly aid in funding the next generation of academy players coming through.
The larger question marks remain over Jes Rak-Sakyi, who has suffered a stop-start developmental curve in his time at the club, and Esse. Stylistically similar and already well-established as Championship players, both have likely needed to outlive Oliver Glasner at Palace to get another look in the first team.
Age is on Esse's side as he is two and half years younger than Rak-Sakyi, and both will have eyes on the Premier League next season - whether that is with Palace or not.
Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast, external
Real Madrid will look to sign Crystal Palace's 22-year-old England midfielder Adam Wharton if they fail to acquire Spain midfielder Rodri, 29, from Manchester City this summer. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external
Liverpool will face strong competition from Bayern Munich for the signing of 25-year-old France defender Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace. (Teamtalk), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich are all interested in Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix. (Teamtalk), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column
Sunderland could face a battle to keep on-loan RB Leipzig utility player Lutsharel Geertruida at the club next term, with Crystal Palace, Everton, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham all interested in the 25-year-old Netherlands international. (Teamtalk), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel has unanimously voted that Gabriel Gudmundsson should not have received a second yellow card at Crystal Palace.
The Leeds United defender was sent off by referee Thomas Bramall in first-half stoppage time for a challenge on Ismaila Sarr in the centre circle.
Bramall appeared to forget he had already booked Gudmundsson in the 26th minute, taking several seconds to produce the red card.
The KMI Panel said that there was "minimal contact" and "the challenge was careless and not clearly reckless".
Leeds boss Daniel Farke was annoyed by the decision, which left Leeds to play the second half of the 0-0 draw with 10 men.
"Everyone in the stadium can see [it was the wrong decision]," Farke said. "It was doubtful if it was even a foul. For me, it was a clear mistake."
Second yellow cards are not currently reviewable by the video assistant referee (VAR), so Gudmundsson's red card had to stand.
However, from next season there will be the scope for the VAR to send a referee to the monitor to rescind clearly wrong second bookings.
The KMI Panel unanimously voted that the referee was correct not to show a second yellow card to Palace forward Brennan Johnson in the 74th minute.
It said Johnson's challenge "isn't reckless and doesn't stop a promising attack".
Alex Pewter
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesIt is time for the international break and Palace fans are already in the middle of an extended escape from matches.
Third time was the charm against AEK Larnaca and it is still more than two weeks until Fiorentina arrive at Selhurst Park.
With the World Cup on the horizon, the club has many players aiming to represent their nations on the grandest stage - the latest being Maxence Lacroix, who received a call-up to the France squad.
Dean Henderson and Adam Wharton made it into Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad, yet there will be one Crystal Palace player questioning what else he must do to earn international recognition once again.
A contender for player of the year honours and a model of consistency, Tyrick Mitchell has continued to grow into his wing-back role at Palace. However, successive England managers have preferred midfield converts and right-sided defenders to play on the left side of defence.
It is possible that the modern game has shifted so far towards possession that there is not perceived value in the defence-first defender, under any circumstances. Perhaps during qualifications, where England are a dominant side, that is not an issue. But the World Cup is a different environment entirely.
Variety and flexibility would be the primary arguments for selecting players such as Dan Burn or Harry Maguire, as you can imagine scenarios where an aerially strong defender would be valuable in a knockout situation and to counter specific threats. The same consideration cannot be said for full-back.
The evidence suggests that when Mitchell faces the Premier League's best right wingers, be it Bukayo Saka or Mohamed Salah, he has consistently measured up to their attacking prowess.
Should the day come when England must contend with a player of the calibre of Michael Olise or must hold on to a lead, I would argue there is not a better defender Tuchel could send into the action. Alas, it appears he does not agree.
Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast, external
Chelsea's England Under-21 defender Josh Acheampong is seen as a good fit by Crystal Palace amid suggestions the 19-year-old might leave Stamford Bridge this summer. (Football Insider), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Image source, PA MediaCrystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix has received his first call-up to the France national team as a replacement for injured Arsenal defender William Saliba.
Saliba played in Sunday's Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City but has withdrawn from international duty because of an ankle problem.
Lacroix, 25, will join up with the France squad that play friendlies against Brazil and Colombia in the United States.
Ellie Killick
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesComing off the back of an uninspiring first leg at home and a goalless draw against a 10-man Leeds United, was far from the ideal build-up to a potentially season-defining game against AEK Larnaca. My confidence was not high and after failing to create any kind of advantage on home soil, Palace travelled away to Cyprus with a job to do.
To their credit, they started brightly. For the first time in weeks, they were able to make their abundance of possession count and show some creativity that had been missing. There was a flow to their play and the breakthrough reflected that.
I was impressed with the developed connection between Ismaila Sarr and Jorgen Strand Larsen, their link-up play looked sharp, it's just a shame there was minimal final product.
Adam Wharton has been excellent in recent weeks. His influence from midfield has continued to grow, providing a number of assists, most notably the beauty against Spurs - and I wasn't surprised he made it into Thomas Tuchel's England squad.
Yet for all Palace's control, there was still a familiar frustration. Aside from the goal they scored, Larnaca posed no attacking threat, making the goal we did concede even more frustrating. A simple lapse of concentration gave them a way back into the game.
However, there were positives off the bench. I've often been highly critical of him, but Yeremy Pino's introduction was positive. He brought energy and intent, driving the ball up the pitch and helping to shift momentum at a key point.
While perhaps slightly late, it was also great to see Oliver Glasner move away from his usual tactics and play both Strand Larsen and Jean-Philippe Mateta together. Against sides playing the low block - and down to 10 or nine men - the extra man could play a pivotal role, and it does pose the question of could we have got something from the Leeds game if Glasner had taken the risk.
It may be too early to say it, but last time Sarr scored a brace in a cup tie we went on to win the whole thing… it wasn't the prettiest, but nevertheless, the job got done and our European journey continues!
Find more from Ellie Killick at Eagle Eye View, external
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on Crystal Palace's performance as they beat AEK Larnaca 2-1 to reach the Conference League quarter-finals.
Here are some of your comments:
Mike: No hiding from the fact that this was more of the same. We can't score, Ismaila Sarr excepted. In defence we are sloppy and are unable to defend high balls into our box. Win this competition, no chance, we may just hold on to our EPL status if we are lucky!
Rich: Great that we have qualified but once again a performance that against better opposition would have yielded a different outcome. Struggle to break down teams and when we do we let ourselves down by conceding poor goals. Tonight we missed a hatful of chances that could have proved costly. However, happy to be through to the QFs.
Keith: Well another tough watch but at least Palace got over the line. Thank goodness we have Sarr to provide the goals and the woodwork-hitting entertainment!
Vic: We still lack the flair to add to Sarr's pace when up against the block. Pino definitely added that when he came on but up against 10 men we should have had more clear-cut chances. But a win is a win and now look forward to last eight.
Tom: Scored twice from open play! Nervy at times but quarter-final awaits and it's happy times again for Eagles!
England manager Thomas Tuchel has named his 35-man squad for the two friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March.
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle United), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion).
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan).
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur).
There are 13 players involved who weren't in the last squad back in November, while there's a first senior call-up for Everton midfielder James Garner and Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele.
Image source, Getty ImagesCrystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, speaking to TNT Sports: "It's a huge achievement. We are looking forward to really making the best of these three weeks because our next competitive game is against Fiorentina at Selhurst Park.
"We will have a few days off and many of our players go to their national teams. And then we will prepare and make a friendly to stay in the rhythm.
"It's good. I expect Eddie Nketiah back, so everybody will help us because then it will be a very tight schedule until the end of the season and, hopefully, our European journey continues."
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, speaking to TNT Sports about Ismaila Sarr: "He's been top. He's been doing well in the Premier League as well. He's been scoring goals and getting assists. He's so quick!"
Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesOliver Glasner had called for his side to be more ruthless in front of goal following their 0-0 draws, against Larnaca and in the Premier League against Leeds, over the past week.
And when Ismaila Sarr latched on to Adam Wharton's deflected pass to put Palace in charge early on, his wish appeared to have been granted.
The forward was Palace's main source of inspiration throughout the night and thought he had doubled the lead midway through the first half, but was correctly flagged offside when he headed in Daichi Kamada's delivery from the left.
But worryingly from there, his side's performance fell flat.
Larnaca had barely got out of their half until they levelled when the unmarked Enric Saborit climbed above Chris Richards to head in a set-piece.
However, Sarr came to the rescue to maintain the Eagles' European dream and deserved a first senior hat-trick, with his late attempts hitting the woodwork.
On this form, he looks capable of helping his departing Austrian boss go out on a high at the end of the campaign, as Palace look to become the third team from London to lift the Conference League trophy in four years.
Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.
What did you make of Crystal Palace's display?
Come back on Friday for a selection of your replies
AEK Larnaca make one alteration from the 0-0 draw in the first leg against Crystal Palace a week ago, with Petros Ionannu replacing the injured Jorge Miramon.
AEK Larnaca XI: Alomerovic, Ekpolo, Milicevic, Saborit, Angel, Pons, Ledes, Ionannu, Rohden, Ivanovic, Bajic.
Subs: Paraskevas, Demitriou, Rubio, Gurfinkel, Kyriakou, Roberge, Cabrera, Mudrazija, Loukaidis, Gonzalez.
Crystal Palace make two changes to the side that drew 0-0 against Leeds in the Premier League last Sunday as Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada return in midfield.
That means Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes drop to the bench. Eagles goalkeeper Dean Henderson remains absent through illness, so Maxence Lacroix will skipper the team.
Crystal Palace XI: Benitez, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Johnson, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Guessand, Strand Larsen.
Subs: Matthews, Izquierdo, Clyne, Riad, Sosa, Mumoz, Lerma, Cardines, Hughes, Devenny, Pino, Mateta.
There are eight games in the Conference League on Thursday as the last 16 concludes, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.
Athens v Celje (17:45)
AEK Larnaca v Crystal Palace (17:45)
Mainz v Sigma Olomouc (17:45)
Rakow Czestochowa v Fiorentina (17:45)
Rayo Vallecano v Samsunspor
Shakhtar Donetsk v Lech Poznan
Sparta Prague v AZ Alkmaar
Strasbourg v Rijeka
Kick-off times 20:00 GMT unless stated
