Crystal Palace vs Swansea City. Premier League.
Selhurst ParkAttendance23,714.
Monday 28 December 2015 15:03, UK
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew is without Yannick Bolasie and Connor Wickham for the visit of Swansea in the Premier League on Monday afternoon.
The Eagles extended their unbeaten run in the top flight to five games over the weekend with a goalless draw against Bournemouth, which both players also missed out on through injury.
The south Londoners now occupy the Europa League spot on 30 points - ahead of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton.
Managerless Swans picked up their first win in seven Premier League games against West Brom on Boxing Day, which has left them one point off the relegation zone.
Team news
Pardew fears Bolasie (hip/thigh) and Wickham (calf) will be out for "four weeks at least" but striker Patrick Bamford could return after missing Saturday's clash with a knock.
Lee Chung-yong will be absent, however, after his wife welcomed a baby into the family over the Christmas period.
Swansea could be forced into changes after caretaker manager Alan Curtis admitted a few players were suffering from "aches and strains" after the West Brom win.
But Curtis is also likely to rotate due to the short 48-hour turnaround.
Veterans Angel Rangel and Leon Britton could be rested, with Kyle Naughton and Jonjo Shelvey in line to start for the first time since the former Wales international succeeded Garry Monk earlier this month.
Opta stats
Crystal Palace have won only one of their last eight league matches against Swansea (W1 D3 L4).
The Eagles have failed to win their final league game in each of the last three years - drawing with QPR in 2014, losing to Man City in 2013 and drawing with Nottingham Forest in the Championship in 2012.
Swansea have won just one of their last 10 Premier League trips to London (W1 D3 L6).
Palace have won their last two Premier League home games - they haven't won three in a row at Selhurst Park in the league since February 2014.
Alan Pardew has picked up just eight points in eight previous Premier League encounters with Swansea (W2 D2 L4).
Swansea have won just one of their last nine Premier League away games, losing six of these (D2).
Merson's prediction
Palace are not the best-suited side to playing at home but backed by the Selhurst Park crowd, they should have enough to overcome a Swansea team still searching for a manager.
Alan Pardew has a very entertaining side on his hands and as they showed against Bournemouth on Saturday, they're tough to break down so I'm backing them for a comfortable 3-1 victory.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-1 (18/1 with Sky Bet)
Betting
Crystal Palace are Sky Bet's 11/10 favourites for the victory with Swansea considered outsiders at 13/5, while the draw is priced at 9/4. The Swans' relegation odds drifted considerably following their Boxing Day victory and they now sit joint fifth in the betting at 4/1. The Soccer Saturday pundits have made their predictions, including Phil Thompson's tip for Yannick Bolasie to score in an Eagles win at 11/4.
