Premier League - Match Preview: Newcastle United v Crystal Palace
Loic Remy might attract big interest given his form for Newcastle this season
Tony Pulis will be out to return Crystal Palace to winning ways when they visit Newcastle United on Saturday. The Welshman replaced Ian Holloway at Selhurst Park in November and has revived the Barclays Premier League fortunes of relegation-threatened Palace.
The south London club have earned 24 points since he was appointed, but after four matches without a win remain just three points and one place above the drop zone. Palace will find themselves in the bottom three if they lose at St James' Park and Sunderland overcome fellow strugglers Norwich City. They visited the North East last weekend, when they held Sunderland to a 0-0 draw, a week after losing at home to Southampton.
Palace have issues up front with Dwight Gayle set to miss out because of an ankle injury, while Marouane Chamakh is still out with a hamstring problem. Defender Danny Gabbidon (knock) and Barry Bannan (illness) both missed the goalless draw with Sunderland last weekend and it remains to be seen whether the pair will recover in time to feature. Glenn Murray and Cameron Jerome are both in contention to replace Chamakh. Pulis has conceded that the Moroccan's absence is a problem for his side.
"Chamakh won't be fit for Saturday,” he said. “It is a massive blow because he plays that position so, so well. He is a good player, can score goals and he can drop into that number 10 position.
"It is a miss, but we have to get on with it." Alan Pardew, Pulis’s counterpart will be unable to attend the match against the club where he played, as he serves the second game of a three-match stadium ban enforced for his headbutt on Hull City's David Meyler in the 4-1 win at the KC Stadium this month. Assistant John Carver will again be in charge and will hope for better fortune this time around after suffering a 1-0 defeat at Fulham last weekend.
Newcastle can complete a league double over Palace with victory following a 3-0 success at Selhurst Park back in December. The hosts have a strong record against Palace, whose last win over Newcastle came back in 1998.
Newcastle have a number of injury concerns going into this encounter and will again be without top scorer Loic Remy because of a calf injury.
Defenders Mathieu Debuchy (groin) and Davide Santon (illness) are both sidelined, but Hatem Ben Arfa and Sammy Ameobi are available after returning to the squad.
Newcastle United from: Alnwick, Elliot, Krul, Coloccini, Dummett, Haidara, Streete, S Taylor, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Anita, Ben Arfa, Bigirimana, Gosling, Marveaux, Sissoko, Tiote, Sa Ameobi, Sh Ameobi, Cisse, De Jong, Gouffran.
Crystal Palace from: Alexander, Price, Speroni, Hennessey, Dann, Delaney, Gabbidon, Mariappa, McCarthy, Moxey, Parr, Ward, Bannan, Bolasie, Dikgacoi, Guedioura, Ince, Jedinak, Ledley, O'Keefe, Puncheon, Thomas, Williams, Jerome, Murray.
Match Appointments
Referee: Andre Marriner. Assistants: S Ledger, M Perry. Fourth Official: A Taylor.
Palace have issues up front with Dwight Gayle set to miss out because of an ankle injury, while Marouane Chamakh is still out with a hamstring problem. Defender Danny Gabbidon (knock) and Barry Bannan (illness) both missed the goalless draw with Sunderland last weekend and it remains to be seen whether the pair will recover in time to feature. Glenn Murray and Cameron Jerome are both in contention to replace Chamakh. Pulis has conceded that the Moroccan's absence is a problem for his side.
"Chamakh won't be fit for Saturday,” he said. “It is a massive blow because he plays that position so, so well. He is a good player, can score goals and he can drop into that number 10 position.
"It is a miss, but we have to get on with it." Alan Pardew, Pulis’s counterpart will be unable to attend the match against the club where he played, as he serves the second game of a three-match stadium ban enforced for his headbutt on Hull City's David Meyler in the 4-1 win at the KC Stadium this month. Assistant John Carver will again be in charge and will hope for better fortune this time around after suffering a 1-0 defeat at Fulham last weekend.
Newcastle can complete a league double over Palace with victory following a 3-0 success at Selhurst Park back in December. The hosts have a strong record against Palace, whose last win over Newcastle came back in 1998.
Newcastle have a number of injury concerns going into this encounter and will again be without top scorer Loic Remy because of a calf injury.
Defenders Mathieu Debuchy (groin) and Davide Santon (illness) are both sidelined, but Hatem Ben Arfa and Sammy Ameobi are available after returning to the squad.
Newcastle United from: Alnwick, Elliot, Krul, Coloccini, Dummett, Haidara, Streete, S Taylor, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Anita, Ben Arfa, Bigirimana, Gosling, Marveaux, Sissoko, Tiote, Sa Ameobi, Sh Ameobi, Cisse, De Jong, Gouffran.
Crystal Palace from: Alexander, Price, Speroni, Hennessey, Dann, Delaney, Gabbidon, Mariappa, McCarthy, Moxey, Parr, Ward, Bannan, Bolasie, Dikgacoi, Guedioura, Ince, Jedinak, Ledley, O'Keefe, Puncheon, Thomas, Williams, Jerome, Murray.
Match Appointments
Referee: Andre Marriner. Assistants: S Ledger, M Perry. Fourth Official: A Taylor.