Preview: Crystal Palace vs. Nottingham Forest - prediction, team news, lineups

The Eagles sit ninth in the top-flight table and three points ahead of a Forest side who are looking to end a three-game winless run when they travel to South London.

Match preview

While Old Trafford may not be the fortress that it once was, few managers have had success on their travels to the red side of Manchester over the years, but Roy Hodgson will think otherwise after guiding his Crystal Palace team to a 1-0 victory over Manchester United last weekend.

A thumping first-half volley from Joachim Andersen was enough for a dogged Eagles outfit to claim maximum points, with Hodgson, at the ripe old age of 76, not only becoming the first-ever visiting Premier League manager to avoid defeat in five successive trips to Man United, but also just the second coach after Pep Guardiola to win three games in a row with the same club at the Theatre of Dreams.

Palace have now picked up seven of their 11 Premier League points away from home this season, but they return to Selhurst Park on Saturday seeking to claim their fourth top-flight win of the campaign, which could move them into the top seven before the international break if other results go their way.

Not since April have the Eagles won back-to-back league games, but the prospect of ending this run against Forest could prove challenging as they have never beaten the Tricky Trees in six previous Premier League meetings.

Palace have only lost two of their last 13 home games in the top flight - against Manchester City and Arsenal - but they could only claim a point in a 1-1 draw with Forest in May during this run, while their last victory in any competition against the Reds was back in December 2011 when a Glenn Murray strike sealed a 1-0 away win when both teams were competing in the Championship.

Nottingham Forest have failed to build on their impressive 1-0 win at Chelsea at the beginning of last month as they have since picked up just two points from a winless three-game run, with 1-1 home draws against Burnley and Brentford taking place either side of a 2-0 loss at Man City.

Steve Cooper's men were staring down the barrel of defeat last weekend when Moussa Niakhate was sent off midway through the second half for a late challenge just two minutes before Christian Norgaard headed the Bees in front from the resulting free kick. However, deadline-day signing Nicolas Dominguez restored parity with a header of his own in the 65th minute and the hosts held on for a share of the spoils.

Despite rescuing a point, Forest have slipped down to 12th place in the Premier League table, four points clear of the relegation zone, but they can climb back into the top half and move level on points with Saturday's opponents Crystal Palace with a victory.

Forest's away record leaves a little to be desired as they have only accumulated five points from their last 42 available on the road dating back to January. However, all five of those points have been collected in London, including four against Chelsea and one in the aforementioned draw at Palace five months ago.

Indeed, the Tricky Trees will welcome an encounter at Selhurst Park where they have not lost any of their last six visits, and they have scored in all six such games against the Eagles in the process which bodes well for Cooper's side on Saturday.

Crystal Palace Premier League form:

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Crystal Palace form (all competitions):

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Nottingham Forest Premier League form:

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Nottingham Forest form (all competitions):

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Team News

Crystal Palace were rocked by the news earlier this week that star midfielder Eberechi Eze is facing up to six weeks out with a hamstring injury; Michael Olise and Jefferson Lerma are also nursing hamstring problems, while Dean Henderson (groin), Matheus Franca (back), James Tomkins (calf) and Naouirou Ahamada (ankle) all remain sidelined.

The Eagles are light in the midfield department and the absences of Eze, Lerma and Ahamada could see either Jairo Riedewald handed a start or Jeffery Schlupp move from the left flank into the midfield three alongside Cheick Doucoure and Will Hughes.

Academy graduate Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could be handed his first Premier League start in the front three alongside Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew if Schlupp moves into midfield, but Hodgson may have Odsonne Edouard available for selection as the forward has been spotted training this week following a spell out with a hamstring injury.

As for Nottingham Forest, Danilo (hamstring) and Wayne Hennessey (knee) remain sidelined with injuries, while Niakhite will serve a one-match ban following his red card last weekend, with Nuno Tavares potentially taking his place at left-back if he shakes off a groin issue.

Dominguez picked up a knock against Brentford and will be assessed ahead of kickoff, as will Ryan Yates and Ola Aina who missed last weekend's game due to respective hamstring and muscle injuries.

After beginning as substitutes last time out, Joe Worrall and Morgan Gibbs-White will be hoping to force his way back into the first XI, with the former looking to replace either Willy Boly or Murillo at centre-back and the latter set to compete with Anthony Elanga for a place in attack.

Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:

Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Riedewald, Doucoure, Hughes; Ayew, Mateta, Schlupp

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:

Turner; Aurier, Boly, Murillo, Tavares; Sangare, Mangala, Dominguez; Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Awoniyi

We say: Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest

The absence of Eze is a huge blow for Palace and Hodgson will need someone else to step up and provide a creative spark against a Forest side who will fancy their chances of finding the net having already scored in six of their first seven league games this season.

Both teams will view Saturday's clash as a winnable game and will hope to enter the international break on a high, but there is little to separate these two evenly-matched sides which could result in a share of the spoils at Selhurst Park.

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