Outside Selhurst Park last August, police ringed Nottingham Forest’s bus despite no mob in sight. It captured the odd new edge to Crystal Palace against Forest. On Sunday Oliver Glasner returns with Forest to his former ground.

The fallout began when UEFA demoted Palace from the Europa League over John Textor’s multi-club conflict, which bumped Forest up from the Conference League. According to NY Times, Steve Parish hinted Forest pressed behind the scenes, angering the City Ground. Tensions between Evangelos Marinakis and Parish have lingered.

Forest’s communications have not helped. The club announced Glasner without naming Palace, then trumpeted Daniel Muñoz’s £22million arrival while largely skirting his Palace past. A welcome video lingered on tattoos, but not the FA Cup on his thigh, and Forest say such omissions were oversights.

At Selhurst last year a Holmesdale Fanatics banner depicted Marinakis, Palace deny they knew beforehand. Marinakis is suing Palace and persons unknown for defamation, the FA fined Palace £50,000, and the fan group later disbanded. Spats have flourished amid attritional draws.

Glasner speaks of mixed loyalties and gratitude towards Parish, and says disappointment at demotion became the springboard to winning the Conference League. He would rather avoid being at the centre of the acrimony. His presence still adds spice to Sunday.

Recruitment has added friction. Palace moved for Anan Khalaili while Forest were in for him. Palace then sold Muñoz to Forest via his agent without direct talks, and a later Forest bid for Dean Henderson was rejected.

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”