Crystal Palace will look to give Tottenham Hotspur a run for their money when the two sides collide in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
The Eagles boss Roy Hodgson has already stressed that surviving the drop will remain Palace’s number one priority and therefore, he could make a host changes come Sunday.
Crystal Palace team news
Both the goalkeepers in Wayne Hennessey and Vicente Guaita are unavailable for Crystal Palace on Sunday, while Pape Souare is also set to miss out due to injury.
Predicted Crystal Palace lineup vs Tottenham Hotspur
Defence
Hodgson could make a few alterations to his defence on Sunday, with key defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka likely to make way for Danny Ward in the right-back role while Jeffrey Schlupp might be deployed on the opposite flank.
The trusted defensive duo of James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho could also be given a rest ahead of Palace’s trip to St. Mary’s next week. They will make way for Martin Kelly and Scott Dann at the heart of the defence.
Hodgson will have to decide whether on persisting with Julian Speroni as the man in between the sticks. The Palace boss will have the option to hand Lucas Perri his debut, but we expect Speroni to get the nod ahead of the Brazilian, despite his poor performance against Liverpool.
Midfield
Minimal changes are expected in midfield, with Hodgson lacking resources in the middle third of the pitch. Therefore, Luka Milivojevic should retain his place in the deeper midfield role.
The Serbian will be supported by Cheikhou Kouyate and Max Meyer, who will replace James McArthur. The former Schalke midfielder will be key in the counter-attacking positions, while Kouyate’s defensive prowess, coupled with Milivojevic’s excellent work-ethic, could provide a stern test for the Tottenham midfielders.
Attack
Jordan Ayew should retain his place in the side even though both Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham are said to be back in contention.
Ayew will be supported by the wide duo of Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha. Expect Benteke and Wickham to play a part some time in the second half as Hodgson will want to ease them back into action for the coming months.
