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Football London
Football London
Sport
Robert Warlow

Confirmed Crystal Palace team to face Chelsea: Townsend returns, with Schlupp on the bench

Crystal Palace have made one change for the game against Chelsea this afternoon (Saturday), with Andros Townsend returning from injury.

The former Spurs and Newcastle United winger is back in the starting XI, after missing the 2-0 defeat against Leicester City last weekend with a muscle strain.

He replaces Jeffrey Schlupp in the Palace line-up, with the former Leicester man dropping to the bench as Roy Hodgson makes one change to the side that lost out against the Foxes at Selhurst Park last Sunday.

The Palace boss had the luxury of a fully-fit squad to choose from for the game at Stamford Bridge, with James McArthur recovering from a back problem to start, while long-term absentees Mamadou Sakho and Connor Wickham were also available to Hodgson.

However, there is no place for either of them in the matchday squad.

Gary Cahill starts against Chelsea as he faces his old side for the first time since leaving in the summer, with the former England international partnering James Tomkins at the heart of the Palace defence.

Meanwhile, Jordan Ayew continues up front, with Christian Benteke on the bench for the Eagles.

Palace XI to face Chelsea : Guaita, Ward, Cahill, Tomkins, van Aanholt, Milivojevic, Kouyate, McArthur, Townsend, Zaha, Ayew.

Subs: Hennessey, Dann, Kelly, McCarthy, Riedewald, Schlupp, Benteke.

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