Following their 2-0 loss against Leicester City last weekend, Crystal Palace will travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday in their next Premier League game.
Under the tutelage of Roy Hodgson, the Eagles have been in decent form so far this campaign, and currently occupy the ninth spot in the league table.
Facing an in-form Chelsea will be a tough task, and the Eagles will have to dig deep to pick up anything from the game.
Crystal Palace Team News
Gary Cahill suffered a minor head injury against Leicester City, but he could return. Andros Townsend, Cheikhou Kouyate, and James McArthur are no longer injured, but it remains to be seen if they will start come Saturday.
Predicted Crystal Palace Lineup vs Chelsea
Defence
Vicente Guaita could once again get the nod to start under the bar instead of Wayne Hennessey. The Spaniard is likely to have a busy game.
Cahill is likely to recover in time to face his former club, and the veteran defender is expected to start in the central defence alongside James Tomkins.
The veteran has been an instrumental figure for his new club, and averages 5.2 clearances per game after league 9 outings.
Meanwhile, Patrick van Aanholt and Joel Ward are almost certain to start as the full-backs, and will be tasked with the responsibility of keeping Chelsea’s wingers at bay.
Midfield
Luka Milivojevic had a tough game against the Foxes in the previous fixture, and with Chelsea’s dynamic attack, he will have another difficult outing come Saturday.
Having played 10 league games so far, Milivojevic has mustered 2.5 tackles and 2.4 interceptions on an average, and also has a couple of goals to his name.
We could James McCarthy and Max Meyer get the chance to start in the midfield alongside Milivojevic.
Attack
Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha should start as the two wide players in the Crystal Palace lineup, and considering Chelsea’s full-backs haven’t been at their best, the Eagles’ duo could have some joy on the flanks.
In the defensive phases, expect the two wingers to drop back and make it a five-man midfield.
With 4 goals in 10 league games, Jordan Ayew is the club’s top-scorer, and he should start up top for the side at Stamford Bridge.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
