Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew has claimed that no Premier League team wants to be part of the Europa League while it is in its current format.
After a strong start to the season, Palace are second in the table and have been tipped by some to achieve a surprise top-six finish.
However, Pardew feels that the busy nature of entering the Europa League can damage a team's performance domestically.
"I would not want to be [in] the Europa League in the current format, that's for sure," Pardew told ESPN. "Thursday night games are difficult to contend with given the level of physicality we deal with in the Premier League.
"We struggled with it at Newcastle and we were not alone in that among the English clubs. Until that issue is addressed, no Premier League team wants to be in the Europa League. That's the reality, even if some don't want to admit it."
Pardew admitted that it was an important year for the Eagles ahead of next season's influx of new television money, and all he is focused on at the moment is securing another season of top-flight football.
"It is a vital year for everyone in the Premier League with the finances available from the new TV deal next season, and I'm not thinking about whether we can challenge for a Europa League place at this stage," he added. "Give me 40 points and then I will think about more."
Palace host Manchester City in a top-of-the-table clash tomorrow, after beating Chelsea in their last match before the international break.
Pascal Lemesre
