Eberechi Eze has been left out of Crystal Palace's team for its Conference League playoff match on Thursday amid reports the England forward is about to join Arsenal.

Crystal Palace made a frustrating start to life without Eberechi Eze as they laboured to a 1-0 win over Fredrikstad in the first leg of their Conference League play-off at Selhurst Park.

Jean-Philippe Mateta etched his name into Crystal Palace history by netting their first-ever European goal, securing a 1-0 win over Norwegian outfit Fredrikstad in the opening leg of their Conference

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal of the game as Crystal Palace's first European fixture ended in a 1-0 victory over Fredrikstad in the first leg of their Conference League play-off at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace tonight begin their Conference League campaign with the first leg of a group stage qualification play-off at home against Fredrikstad.Manager Oliver Glasner will aim to build on a respectable draw achieved away to Chelsea in the opening Premier League fixture,

Crystal Palace enter their Europa Conference League play-off first leg against Fredrikstad with the focus inevitably fixed on Eberechi Eze. The midfielder, whose flair has so often defined Palace’s attacking spark, is on the verge of a £67.5million move to Arsenal.

Crystal Palace are in talks with Nottingham Forest, and the Metropolitan police, over the provision of increased security for Sunday’s Premier League game between the teams at Selhurst Park.

USMNT center back Chris Richards and his Premier League club Crystal Palace are off to a strong start to this season, adding to last week's Community Shield triumph with a 0-0 draw at Chelsea on Sunday.