‘Uche wasn’t registered’ - Crystal Palace manager clarifies disagreement with Super Eagles star

Uche, who is on loan from Spanish club Getafe, has had a challenging season at Selhurst Park. 

The Super Eagles international has made 22 appearances across all competitions, almost exclusively as a substitute, and is yet to make his first Premier League start. 

His last competitive appearance was nearly two months ago, which has left him frustrated with his manager.

The midfielder's frustration became public earlier this week during an interview where he suggested his relationship with the manager had deteriorated.

"I hope to make you proud whenever I do get the chance to play, but I know maybe it won’t happen again because the coach doesn’t like me," Uche stated.

These remarks sparked debate among fans ahead of Palace's UEFA Conference League semi-final, raising questions about the 22-year-old's future at the club.

During a pre-match press conference, Glasner moved to de-escalate the situation, explaining that the midfielder was unhappy after being left out of the European squad.

"For me, I never blame the player for something. This stays internal. Uche wasn’t registered for the second part of the Conference League. I had a conversation with him, he wasn’t pleased with it," the Austrian coach revealed.

"I had to take a decision due to the rules," Glasner explained. "At that moment, we thought Eddie was close to returning. We had Strand Larsen, Brennan Johnson, Mateta, and Eddie Nketiah. 

“This was the reason, and from that day he felt that I don’t like him. There was nothing personal. I like him as a person, but again I had to take a decision."

The Palace boss affirmed the club's commitment to supporting all its players, including Uche, despite his limited playing time.

"Every player who is here gets the best possible support we can give him," he said. "He’s our player, and he’ll get all the support. 

“It looks like he doesn’t make a game for us. There are some reasons for it, but I want to keep this in-house. I’m always talking to the players directly and not over the media."

Uche is now expected to return to Getafe when his loan expires, as he failed to meet the conditions for a permanent transfer. 

The deal reportedly included a purchase clause of €18-20 million, which would have been triggered had he started 10 Premier League games.