Palace defender Andersen has won 25 caps for Denmark, starting 14 of his country’s last 17 fixtures, and was on the pitch when 20-year-old Højlund – who joined United from Atalanta in the summer – made his own senior international debut last year.
Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third-round clash between Palace and United at Old Trafford, and Saturday’s Premier League fixture at the same location, therefore represent the first two occasions the defender and forward have come up against one another in a competitive setting.
Andersen said of his international teammate: “It’s going to be fun to play against him!
“He’s a young lad with a good character, a lot of energy and really good attributes. He’s quick, he’s strong and he has a lot of energy. It’s not easy to play against a player like him and I think his start [in England] has been really good. He scored last week so I’m really happy for him."
Andersen then smiled: “Hopefully he’ll score a lot of goals for our national team... but I think I can handle him in the games we’re going to play against each other!”
While the defender is used to coming up against Højlund in Denmark training, it was a different kind of challenge he highlighted when asked which teammates he finds most difficult to defend against at club level.
Andersen noted: “[Ebere] Eze is really difficult with his skills. He’s really good at dribbling.
“Michael Olise is also really good, Jordan Ayew is really strong, so for me these three players are difficult [to train against].
“[In the the Premier League as a whole] it must be Erling Haaland. He’s a top player, he’s quick, he’s strong, and the numbers he produces are unbelievable. He’s a tough one and you need to be on your toes to deliver a good performance against a guy like him.”
On the double gameweek at Old Trafford – the first time Palace have played the same fixture twice in the same week since September 2011 against Middlesbrough – Andersen admitted it was a new situation to him.
“I don’t know if I’ve experienced something like that before,” he noted. “Of course it’s difficult to play two games at Old Trafford in one week, but it is what it is.
“Hopefully we can get some good results. It’s a lot of travel in one week, but that’s how it is!”