Palace v Watford

Selhurst Park, Saturday 3.00pm

Christian Benteke

Team news

Palace forward Christian Benteke returns to the squad for the first time since September after recovering from a knee injury.

Left-back Pape Souare suffered from a dislocated shoulder against Grimsby Town in the FA Cup last Saturday and is set for a spell on the sidelines.

Watford duo Andre Gray (leg)and Christian Kabasele (body) are available but may not be match ready, while Sebastian Prodl (knee) is missing.

Quotes

Roy Hodgson

"I think they are a very good team, with some good players. They work hard and they show the correct amount of aggression to win the ball back, just as we do.

"I don’t go along with that theory that they are a physically intimidating team.

"If you said to me that Watford is a game where the Watford fans may target one of our players verbally, due to something that happened some five or six years ago when I am not sure I was even in the country, then that is perhaps the case.

"But all we can do, and all Javi Gracia can do, is prepare, like me, for a good game of football. We don’t have much of a sway about what the fans might be thinking or shouting."

Javi Gracia

"We know that Zaha is an important player for them because he has a lot of qualities, and a lot of skill, but they have very good players, more than only one.

"Zaha dribbles a lot and we know we have to be ready to control him, but Andros Townsend, Andre Ayew, and other players they have are dangerous, too. They have a strong squad.

"When we start the season, I want to be the champion, I want to be the first one. I have that vision, and that ambition. After that, we will be the best team in the competition. It's my expectation and I want to work with that mentality.

"Every game we play is a good challenge for us and is a chance for us to show what we are able to do."

Watford - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
8th	21	8	5	8	29

Full league table

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
26/08/2018	League	Watford	2 - 1	Crystal Palace
21/04/2018	League	Watford	0 - 0	Crystal Palace
12/12/2017	League	Crystal Palace	2 - 1	Watford
18/03/2017	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 0	Watford
26/12/2016	League	Watford	1 - 1	Crystal Palace

All time results

Last meeting

Watford 2-1 Palace

Sunday August 26 2018

Watford: Foster, Cathcart, Holebas, Kabasele, Janmaat, Capoue, Doucoure, Pereyra, Hughes, Deeney (Success, 89), Gray (Sema, 73)

Subs not used: Prodl, Mariappa, Kiko, Masina, Gomes

Goals: Pereyra (53), Holebas (71)

Bookings: Janmaat, Holebas, Capoue, Pereyra

Palace: Hennessey, Kelly, Ward, Sakho, van Aanholt, Townsend, McArthur, Schlupp (Meyer, 75), Milivojevic, Zaha, Benteke (Sorloth, 85)

Subs not used: Guaita, Riedewald, Ayew, Kaikai, Kouyate

Goals: Zaha (78)

Bookings: Zaha, Meyer