Congratulations to Crystal Palace! In beating Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 yesterday, in the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League Semi-Final tie, the Eagles triumphed 5-2 on aggregate and progressed through to the final. So you know what that means? Yes, an English side will be present in all three European finals, as Arsenal are through to the Champions League finale (versus PSG, in Budapest, May 30) and Aston Villa will play for the Europa League trophy (versus Freiburg, in Istanbul, May 20). Palace will take on Rayo Vallecano on May 27 in Leipzig. In the meantime, Palace will host Everton on Sunday, with the main two team news items consisting of Evann Guessand and Borna Sosa.
Everton at Crystal Palace FYIs
Kickoff: Sun May 10, 2pm, Selhurst Park, London, UK
UEFA Competition Qualifying Implications:
Everton- 3 pts below UECL qualification position, 4 pts below UEL qualification position
Crystal Palace- none
Team News for Both Sides
Before we get to that however, let’s take a look at the Toffees injury/fitness situation. Idrissa Gueye is okay, after missing out on the 3-3 draw with Manchester City on Monday. He suffered a knock in training, but he’s ok.
“He’s fine,” Toffees boss David Moyes said earlier today. “He’s not training yet, but he’s fine. It’s not a serious injury. We’re hoping he’ll be back soon.”
As Gueye isn’t training again yet, he’ll likely miss out on this match. Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish are ruled out for the season.
Getting back to Palace, Guessand (knee) and Sosa (unspecified/undisclosed) are both basically 50/50 propositions for this game.
“We have to assess on a daily basis,” Oliver Glasner said on Wednesday, regarding Guessand. “It’s now the last part of his rehab – getting integrated into team training.”
Overall, he’s a doubt here, same for Sosa and Cheick Doucoure. Eddie Nketiah is ruled out for the season.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.