Whenever there’s a World Cup on, you always get one group that’s marked out as ‘The Group of Death’.
Well, Palace have their own ‘Month of Death’ coming up, starting tomorrow at Selhurst Park.
Just two matches make up our March Premiership fixture list, and they’re against the top two sides in the country – with Manchester United’s visit tomorrow followed by a trip to Stamford Bridge in a couple of weeks.
Let’s be honest, if we get even a point from the six on offer there, we’re all going to be delighted. Thankfully, the four points between us and Southampton gives us a little breathing space while we wait for the slightly less daunting matches in April and May to come along.
Dowie has all of last week’s team that beat Birmingham available, and the line-up is likely to be more or less the same.
Aki is still out of action with his recurring thigh problem, and Darren Powell is also laid up.
Dowie has already said he’s not prepared to sit back and defend a draw in this game, so expect to see the now familiar 4-4-2 line-up with Dougie and AJ up front.
United are hunting a sixth straight away win, but they do have a few injury niggles.
Gary Neville will miss out for sure, and Rio Ferdinand is still iffy after a hamstring tweak. Darren Fletcher and Kleberson are also out for the time being.
Futher hope for Palace is that Ferguson might be tempted to rest one or two of his top players, as he keeps one eye on next week’s Champions’ League second-leg against Milan. Rooney is expected to be a spectator, with Louis Saha or Alan Smith stepping in to accompany Van Nistelrooy
Probable Palace XI:
Kiraly
Boyce Hall Sorondo Granville
Routledge Leigertwood Hughes Soares
Freedman Johnson