Crystal Palace to jet off to Marbella on mid-season training camp

BY ANDREW MCSTEEN

Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace will hold a training camp and friendly match in the Spanish city of Marbella next month.

Due to the Eagles’ away clash with Newcastle United – originally scheduled for March 15 – being postponed to April 16, thanks to the EFL Cup exploits of the north-east side, plus a planned international break over three weeks separate their Premier League game against Ipswich (March 8) to their next, scheduled game, against Southampton (April 2).

Although if the Eagles beat Millwall in the last 16 of the FA Cup this Saturday at Selhurst Park, they will move into the quarter-finals, scheduled for March 29.

Whatever the length of the break without a competitive game, the trip to Marbella is a carbon copy of the Eagles’ trip to Spain last year, where Glasner’s side faced Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt in a friendly following the postponement of their clash against Newcastle due to their FA Cup progress.

“We go to Marbella again, like we did last year: same place, same time, same game in the same week postponed. We will go again from Monday to Friday and hope we have 20 degrees there,” said a smiling Glasner.

“We will have a game, but I’m not really thinking about it at the moment, because we have three very important games, before we go there. It’s not a vacation. If we want to have vacation, then we stop training and everybody can go. It will be work.”

With the international break scheduled fromMarch 17th to the 25th, the Eagles will find themselves without the majority of the squad in the lead up to that possible last eight FA Cup game with Glasner keen to keep the momentum of his squad intact.

“When you have three weeks here (without a game) it’s difficult to find a team to play against, because all the other teams are playing here in England. So, it’s always just training and we want to stay in the rhythm – that’s why we are going. With many international players then going to their national teams, they will get a few days off before they have to leave for them and all the others who stay will have off a little bit afterwards.”

It was reported that Norwegian Eliteserien side – Hamarkameratene – will take on Palace in Spain.

PICTURE: Keith Gillard