Eberechi Eze is in line to make his European debut tonight despite closing in on his dream transfer to boyhood club Arsenal.
The England star is set to start his farewell match for Crystal Palace in the Conference League ahead of a £60million move to north London.
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The Gunners made a late swoop for the 27-year-old after rivals Tottenham had been closing in on securing a deal to sign him.
On Wednesday night, talkSPORT revealed that Arsenal and Crystal Palace have agreed on a deal worth £60 million, plus add-ons, for the highly-regarded playmaker. This transaction marks a record sale for Palace.
Boyhood Gooner Eze, who also played in the club’s academy, went back on his agreement with Spurs to return to the Emirates.
Oliver Glasner had already insisted that Eze’s emotional reaction to fans following Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Chelsea wasn’t a goodbye.
So with that in mind, talkSPORT.com looks at whether the England international will have the chance to say farewell on the pitch…
Will Eze play for Crystal Palace tonight?
Eagles boss Glasner confirmed on Wednesday that he expects his departing talisman to start when he looked to be destined for Spurs.
“Many of you were surprised [Eze] and Marc [Guehi] started against Chelsea, and most of you will be surprised that they will start again tomorrow,” the Austrian revealed to reporters.
“They are committed to the team. The player gives 100 per cent because he is under contract.
“We don’t have to say thank you every day, he is getting a few pounds every week.”
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Will Eze be cup-tied for Arsenal in the Champions League?
UEFA regulations have clearly outlined the stipulations regarding players representing multiple clubs in a single season.
Fortunately for Arsenal, should Eze appear as expected against Fredrikstad, this will not affect future Champions League prospects.
This is because participating in qualifying or play-off rounds does not stop players from being eligible to play for a different team in the league stages of any of UEFA’s top three competitions.
Since Crystal Palace’s match against Fredrikstad is a play-off and Arsenal has already secured their spot in the Champions League league phase, Eze would be permitted to participate for both teams.
Should Eze play in the Conference League proper, then the Gunners would have to wait until the knockout rounds to register him.
