Jean-Philippe Mateta has been left out of Crystal Palace’s squad for Nottingham Forest as clubs fight for his signature.

Mateta will not travel with Crystal Palace for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest, with speculation continuing to grow that the French striker could be on his way out of Selhurst Park.

AC Milan have emerged as the leading contenders to sign Mateta before the transfer window closes on Monday, although Nottingham Forest themselves have also been credited with interest in the forward.

Palace head coach Oliver Glasner confirmed Mateta’s omission from the matchday squad, but insisted the decision was not directly linked to ongoing transfer talks.

“I can confirm JP will not be in the matchday squad,” Glasner told reporters on Friday. “It’s nothing right now to do with transfers; he’s just not in the right place to play. To protect the team and protect him, that’s why he will not travel.”

Glasner also made clear that Palace will not be adding any new faces to the squad for the Forest fixture, despite reports of movement in the transfer market.

The Eagles have reportedly submitted a bid for Wolves striker Jørgen Strand Larsen, who is viewed as a potential replacement should Mateta complete a move away from south London.

“The club is working hard, but there is no decision,” Glasner added. “It could be that JP stays and is still a Crystal Palace player on February 2, or it could be that he leaves and a new striker comes in.”

Palace head into the weekend in poor form, having gone 11 matches without a win in all competitions.

Although they remain eight points clear of the relegation zone, they would need to bounce back from their 3-1 loss to Chelsea last weekend if they want to avoid their free fall down the Premier League table.