Vanoli confirms Kean injury concern ahead of Crystal Palace vs Fiorentina
Quick summary
Fiorentina coach Paolo Vanoli said Moise Kean missed training with shin pain before the Conference League quarter-final first leg against Crystal Palace. Vanoli also described Palace as favourites while insisting Fiorentina can still compete with character despite several absences.
Full article
Attributed to original sourcePaolo Vanoli held his pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday’s Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg at Selhurst Park, and the Fiorentina head coach was candid on multiple fronts, confirming Moise Kean’s fitness setback, acknowledging Crystal Palace’s status as favourites, and expressing his pride at the scale of the occasion despite a lengthy injury list.
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Kean has been nursing a long-standing shin problem, and Vanoli confirmed the striker was unable to train on Wednesday after reporting pain in the affected area.
“Moise has been carrying this shin issue for a very long time,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb .
“After yesterday’s training he felt pain and today he was not able to make it.”
VERONA, ITALY – APRIL 04: Moise Kean of Fiorentina in action during the Serie A match between Hellas Verona FC and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on April 04, 2026 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images) The news is a blow for a Fiorentina side already managing several absences ahead of what Vanoli himself described as one of the most demanding spells of the season.
On the injury situation more broadly, Vanoli pushed back against any narrative of crisis.
“I would have liked to arrive here with a full squad because against opponents like this I need everyone,” he said. “But the word ’emergency’ is not in my DNA. It must be an opportunity for those who have played less and for the younger players. If we play as a team we will achieve great results.”
Vanoli has done his homework on Crystal Palace and their manager Oliver Glasner, whom he has followed closely for some time. “Glasner has already proven himself in Europe, his team is organised and you can see his footballing ideas trace back to his days at Salzburg,” he said.
“Now he is managing in the Premier League, the strongest league in the world. I experienced it personally with Chelsea. This must be a source of pride for us after the whole season we have had.”
CREMONA, ITALY – MARCH 16: Coach Paolo Vanoli of ACF Fiorentina reacts during the Serie A match between US Cremonese and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Giovanni Zini on March 16, 2026 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images) Crystal Palace vs Fiorentina – Vanoli: ‘They are favourites, we must play with character’ He was equally respectful of the venue itself, describing Selhurst Park as an intimate, atmospheric ground where Palace have built their successes, with 25,000 supporters packed tightly around the pitch.
Asked directly whether he considers Palace favourites, Vanoli did not hesitate.
“Yes, I think so, they are coming off an FA Cup victory.” But he was equally clear that Fiorentina belong on the same stage. “We must play with personality and lucidity. It is a beautiful test and we will measure our growth as a team.”
He also offered an encouraging update on Albert Gudmundsson, noting the Icelandic forward’s growing defensive discipline and competitive reaction to his own mistakes at Verona.
“These reactions are small but important details,” Vanoli said. “We are all growing.”
With the second leg to follow in Florence, Vanoli’s message was clear, the tie is far from over before it has even begun, and Fiorentina intend to make their mark on the European stage.
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What happened
Speaking before Fiorentina’s Conference League quarter-final first leg at Crystal Palace, Paolo Vanoli confirmed that Moise Kean remains troubled by a long-running shin issue and was unable to train after feeling pain. The Fiorentina coach acknowledged that his squad is dealing with multiple absences, though he rejected describing the situation as an emergency. Vanoli praised Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace’s organisation, experience and recent momentum, explicitly calling the English side favourites. He also gave a more encouraging note on Albert Gudmundsson’s development and stressed that the tie remains open with a second leg still to come in Florence.
Chance analysis
The key football implication is Fiorentina potentially losing or limiting one of their main attacking threats just before a major European knockout match. Vanoli publicly labeling Crystal Palace as favourites reinforces the idea of a difficult first leg, especially away from home at Selhurst Park. Even if Fiorentina remain competitive structurally, Kean’s fitness issue weakens their attacking ceiling and could shift expectations toward Palace controlling the matchup.
Fiorentina’s chances in the first leg are slightly weakened by Kean’s fitness setback and an already depleted squad.
Treat Kean’s shin issue as a meaningful negative for Fiorentina’s attacking output in the first leg, especially away to a strong home side.