Hodgson to make 4 changes – Strongest 4-4-2 Crystal Palace lineup to face Burnley

Predicted Crystal Palace Lineup To Face Burnley In The Premier League

Crystal Palace will look to cause a nasty upset as they get ready to welcome Burnley to the Selhurst Park on Saturday. Sean Dyche’s men were gracing the 4th spot for quite some time but they seem to have hit a slump of sorts. Now sitting at 7th place, their form has been less than ideal. With Palace looking quite solid under Roy Hodgson’s watchful eyes, it will be interesting to see how this match turns out.

Team News

Andros Townsend and Jeffrey Schlupp are likely to sit this one out after succumbing to injuries against Brighton. Ruben Loftus-Cheek may not feature since he is struggling with fitness. However, the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Christian Benteke, James McArthur and Luka Milivojevic are all expected to return on Saturday.

Probable Crystal Palace XI

Formation: 4-4-2

Manager: Roy Hodgson

Julian Speroni (GK)

Having recently notched up 400 appearances for Crystal Palace, Speroni will prove to be an important player on Saturday. He has been quite solid in goal and will look to maintain his consistency.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah (RB)

With injuries plaguing Hodgson’s defenders, Fosu-Mensah could find himself in the starting line-up. Joel Ward has been quite reliable but his inclusion is unsure since he is not fully fit, thus providing Fosu-Mensah with a golden chance to redeem himself.

Martin Kelly (CB)

Kelly usually takes some time to settle into the game but he brings about a sense of maturity and reliability at the back, making it likely for Hodgson to hand him a starting spot.

James Tomkins (CB)

Tomkins has been in decent form of late and was particularly influential when the Eagles played Arsenal at the end of December. His solidity at the back will prove to be crucial for Palace against Burnley.

Patrick Van Aanholt (LB)

The defence line is likely to be completed by Van Aanholt. He generally struggles a bit when the team surges forward but as far as the defence is concerned, he can hold his own. Hence, it is likely for Hodgson to deploy him at left-back on Saturday.

Bakary Sako (LM)

Sako impressed greatly in their recent game against Brighton and even scored a goal. With most of Hodgson’s players suffering from injuries, the manager is expected to deploy him.

Yohan Cabaye (CM)

Cabaye can be lethal at his best and Palace will desperately need him to be at his best against Burnley. He put in a decent performance against Brighton and will look to continue that momentum if handed a start.

Luka Milivojevic (CM)

Milivojevic is one of Palace’s most influential players in the midfield in terms of maintaining possession. He knows how to balance between making forward passes and defensive plays, thus making it likely for Hodgson to start him against Burnley.

James McArthur (RM)

He has appeared in this position a couple of times this season and Hodgson might have to deploy him there once more to cope with Palace’s growing list of injuries.

Wilfried Zaha (CF)

Zaha is quite skilled in terms of losing the opposition markers and that will come in handy against a resilient Burnley defence. Plus, the player will be looking to get his name on the scoresheet to improve his tally.

Christian Benteke (CF)

Benteke has been inching back to form lately and he was quite impressive in Palace’s recent game against West Brom. To ensure that Burnley crumble, Hodgson is likely to deploy Benteke alongside Zaha.