Hull City head to Selhurst Park on Sunday for Palace’s final home game of the season, in what is a ‘crunch’ game for both teams.
Palace will be looking for a point which would secure their Premier League status for another season, whilst Hull need a win to keep their survival hopes alive.
The Eagles come into the game off the back of three consecutive losses against Tottenham, Burnley and Man City, and after the successful run before, Palace will be hoping to get something against Hull – who have won three of their last six top-flight games
Hull haven’t won a game away from home since the opening day defeat of relegation rivals Swansea City, giving them an extra incentive to take the game to the Eagles.
Manager’s view
Sam Allardyce: “To settle your nerves you have to excite the crowd. Not just in the way you play but by showing you can handle that pressure,” Allardyce explained in his pre-match press conference.
“A lot of credit has to be given to Marco. Luka worked with him in Greece and says he’s a great manager. The results show it.
“All about getting the result. If we can through playing well and scoring goals – great. If we need to play ugly, play ugly.”
Marco Silva: “It’s like a final to us. When we were out of the bottom three I said the same thing; it will be a fight until the end. That is my opinion and we will fight. I believe in us,” Silva explained, as reported by the Hull Daily Mail.
“These (last two games) are like finals at this moment and the next game is important. We need to win the game and we will work hard to win the game. We have to do our best.”
Team news
Crystal Palace: Palace duo Joel Ward (broken nose) and Andros Townsend (Achilles complaint) have been carefully handled during this week’s training and may miss the match, whilst Yohan Cabaye and James Tomkins haven’t trained, Allardyce says a decision will be made on them by Saturday. Scott Dann could also return on Sunday but has an outside chance of playing.
Centre-back Mamadou Sakho will miss the rest of the season with his knee injury and this means he’ll miss the Man Utd game, with the Palace boss saying: “Not really [a chance of Sakho playing v Utd]. I don’t think so. It won’t be long enough to think he’ll be fit for Old Trafford.”
Long-term absentees Pape Souare and Connor Wickham remain out.
Hull City: Lazar Markovic is set to miss the game through an ankle injury, who will be a huge miss for Hull, along with Meyler, Mason, Keane and Obudajo.
Omar Ellabdellaoui could return to the side, but match fitness means this game could come too soon for him.
Officials
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants: S Burt and A Nunn
Fourth official: K Friend
