So here we are. After last season’s late surge, May’s triumph in Cardiff and a close season of will-we, wont-we transfer sagas, Palace are back in the top flight following a break of six seasons.
It seems strange that it’s possible to have a six-pointer on the first day of the season, but today’s match at Carrow Road is just that. Should we manage to take maximum points today, we’ll be set up perfectly for next week’s home match against a vulnerable Everton.
Palace go into today’s game with a couple of injuries – but the good news is that Norwich have got it worse.
For the Eagles, Neil Shipperley and Danny Butterfield are both medium-term absentees, with both expected to be available for selection again in four to six weeks. Following the signing of Sandor Torghelle, it’s debatable whether Shipps would have commanded a starting spot anyway. Butterfield certainly would have done, but his spot at right-back will be filled by the promising Emmerson Boyce – signed from Luton during the summer.
Other debutants today will be Julian Speroni in goal, Joonas Kolkka on left-wing and Torghelle alongside AJ up front. After securing the services of Fitz Hall, it remains to be seen whether Iain Dowie will hand the player his Palace debut so soon. More likely, he’ll stick with the Hudson/Popovic combo at the back until Hall is settled at the club.
Norwich have a few more headaches, with centre-back Malky Mackay, midfielder Phil Mulryne and goalkeeper Paul Gallacher all likely to miss out through injury. The Canaries will also be minus the services of new signing Youssef Safri who is recovering from an infection.
However, their other new signings, Thomas Helveg, Simon Charlton, David Bentley and Mattias Jonson, will all be on show today.
Probable starting XI:
Speroni
Boyce Hudson Popovic Granville
Kolkka Riihilahti Hughes Routledge
Torghelle Johnson