Roy Hodgson will return to the touchline at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace seek a vital three points against Leicester City on Saturday, 1st April (15:00 BST).
Palace could not find a way through a stubborn Leicester defence the last time these two sides met, as the points were shared in a goalless draw at the King Power.
The Eagles’ last victory against Leicester came in February 2019 under Roy Hodgson, as a Wilfried Zaha brace inspired a phenomenal away performance and a four-goal haul in the Midlands.
Palace’s defeat at Arsenal came in unusual circumstances, but a two-week breather during the international break has allowed a chance for a reset under Roy Hodgson.
Alongside trusted lieutenant Ray Lewington, and welcoming Paddy McCarthy – who was on the touchline at the Emirates Stadium – to the first-team staff, Hodgson has been hard at work preparing for the visit of Leicester City.
“Morale has been surprisingly good,” he said of his first few days back at Copers Cope Road. “When there is a change of manager, that always affects the players, and with the fact that the results have been as they have been, it is very hard to live through those periods. Everyone has done it at some stages of their lives.
“You can’t really expect people to be bubbly at that moment in time, but I've been surprised – the mood has been much better than I feared it might be. It’s important we keep that going.
“The environment in training and around the club is going to be so important, because we are facing quite a crucial period in the club’s history in the next two months.
“There is no doubt in my mind that everyone is 100 percent on board with our goal, which is to stay in the league, so I don’t have any fears in that respect.”
The Eagles are looking for a first win of 2023 and a result that would take them further from the relegation zone – but the visitors are just as desperate for three points.
Despite an abundance of talent and a side that were lifting the FA Cup under Brendan Rodgers not so long ago, the Foxes have struggled this season and find themselves sitting in 17th, just a point above the bottom three.
Harvey Barnes was the hero as his goal saw Leicester rescue a point at Brentford last time out, and a win would take them above Palace with a game in hand.
Roy Hodgson has declared a ‘level playing field’ when it comes to team selection, with every member of the squad – both those he worked with in his previous spell and those signed since – given the opportunity to feature against Leicester.
The Eagles are boosted by the return of Sambi Lokonga after he was ineligible against parent club Arsenal last time out, and he could return in midfield alongside Cheick Doucouré – but Luka Milivojevic, Will Hughes, Naouirou Ahamada and Jeff Schlupp could also come into the side.
In attack, Odsonne Edouard replaced Jean-Philippe Mateta at the Emirates with Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise on either flank, with Jordan Ayew and Ebere Eze also among those in contention to start.
The only definite absentees, Hodgson confirmed at his pre-match press conference, will be defenders Chris Richards and Nathan Ferguson.
Leicester have been inspired by the potent attacking abilities of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes in their fight against relegation, while new signing Tete is already showing promising signs as he gels into the attack.
Watch live
The game will not be broadcast in the UK.
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On Palace TV+
Live audio commentary Palace v Leicester will be available on Palace TV+, a subscription service that gives subscribers live access to selected Academy match broadcasts, live audio commentary of all league and cup first-team games, and much more.
Find out more by clicking here.
Social media
You can check out our Instagram story for all of the pre-match build-up and our official Twitter page is bringing you up-to-the-minute match updates, eye-catching photos and more.
Our club website, cpfc.co.uk, is the place to go for team news on the dot, an instant report and all the post-match votes.
The official app
The official Palace app’s match centre and live blog is the place to be for everything you need during the Leicester clash. With live stats and alerts, a running match commentary feed and lineups the moment they’re released as well as post-match reaction from Palace TV+, there’s no need to leave the app to follow the Eagles’ efforts.
