No excuses as Crystal Palace bid to complete Conference League job on artificial pitch in Norway | OneFootball

Oliver Glasner urges his side to ‘stay humble’ as they take a 1-0 lead to Fredrikstad for the second leg of their Conference League play-off

Just fourteen fit senior players and an artificial pitch, but Oliver Glasner is making no excuses as Crystal Palace bid to secure a place in the league phase of the Conference League.

Palace have taken a 1-0 lead to Norway for the second of their play-off against Fredrikstad and are favourites to complete the job on Thursday.

There has already been talk about Palace being among the favourites to win the Conference League but Glasner has urged his side to “stay humble”.

“(The final) is too far away,” he said. “It's just winning the game tomorrow. This is what we are thinking about, this is how we prepared, and it's the only thing we have in our mind,” said Glasner.

“I think it would be arrogant to think, when you play a competition for the first time in a club's history, to talk about winning it. I think it's completely the wrong mindset. It's the first time Crystal Palace plays outside England a competitive (major European) game. I think it's always important to stay humble, and this is what we are doing as a team.”

Palace have trained on the artificial pitch in Norway to help the players get used to the surface.

Due to the conditions, Glasner says his side will have to look to play to feet more often and that is where the return of midfielder Daichi Kamada will provide a real boost.

Kamada missed the start of the season with a knee injury but has made a timely return, ahead of schedule, as Palace look for answers in attack following the departure of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal.

The Eagles struggled for long periods to break down Fredrikstad in the first leg, but with Kamada in line to start they have someone who will look to get on the ball and create.

Fredrikstad did not show much attacking intent in the first leg, but they will be encouraged by having restricted Palace to just one goal.

On home soil, they are sure to pose more questions.

“We watched the game again, and we were quite dominant,” said Glasner. “But also on the other side, and this is what I'm mentioning: quite often, every team gets a chance.”