Sheffield United v Palace

Bramall Lane, Saturday 3.00pm

Smith back after ban

Team news

Not since 1907 have Palace won five away victories in a row. New £150,000 signing from MK Wimbledon Mikele Leigertwood is in line to make his debut at centre-half.

Jamie Smith returns to the side after completing his suspension but Darren Powell (thigh) and Ben Watson (hernia) will sit the game out injured.

United boss Neil Warnock hopes Peter Ndlovu will be available after returning from the African Nations Cup.

Phil Jagielka will play alongside Robert Page in defence while Chris Morgan recovers from a cartilage operation.

Sheffield United - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
3rd	29	14	7	8	49

Full league table

Sheffield United - current form

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
5	2	1	2	9	6

Full form table

Our away record v Sheffield United

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
14	2	4	8	13	27

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
26/08/2003	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 2	Sheffield United
05/04/2003	League	Crystal Palace	2 - 2	Sheffield United
17/12/2002	League Cup	Sheffield United	3 - 1	Crystal Palace
30/11/2002	League	Sheffield United	2 - 1	Crystal Palace
23/02/2002	League	Crystal Palace	0 - 1	Sheffield United

All time results

One to watch

Jack Lester

Sheffield United's top scorer

Jack Lester - 11 goals

Sheffield United's bad boy

Rob Kozluk - 7 0

Palace old boys

Steve Kabba - 01/08/1998 - 15/11/2002

This was a very hard choice this week. There was Jack Lester, who has banged in 11 goals in 19 matches, Phil Jagielka who is an inspiration in midfield and is a bright prospect for the future and Michael Tonge who is strong and quick and scythes down teams with his oh-so-accurate passing. However i have opted for Jack Lester, purely because he will be the one scoring for them and out of the many goal scorers that Sheffield United have Jack Lester is currently on top form and is top scorer now alongside Peter Ndlovu on 11 goals. Lester however has scored some magnificent goals this season and has scored more goals/game than any other Sheffield United player. He is more than a match for any defence in the premiership never mind Division 1 and has played a vital role in United's rise to the dizzy heights of 3rd. If anyone is going to break the solid wall of Poppo, Hudson, Leigertwood and co. then it will be this man. He is very dangerous.

Last meeting

Palace 1-2 Sheffield United

Tuesday August 26 2003

Palace: Clarke, Butterfield, Mullins, Symons, Borrowdale (Routledge, 56), Derry (Watson, 45), Smith, Hughes, Black, Freedman (Johnson, 29), Shipperley

Subs not used: Berthelin, Riihilahti

Bookings: Black, Mullins

Goal: Johnson 76 (pen)

Sheffield United: Kenny (Whitlow, 45), Kozluk, Page, Morgan, Montgomery, Brown (sent off 68), Tonge, McCall (Rankine, 76), Jagielka, Allison, Ndlovu

Subs not used: Armstrong, Peschisolido, Parkinson

Bookings: Kozluk, Tonge. Sent off: Brown 66.

Goals: Ndlovu 18, Allison 45