TEAM NEWS
Crystal Palace's list of absentees has grown with Yohan Cabaye missing through suspension and Patrick Bamford's loan spell ending.
Attacking quartet Yannick Bolasie, Connor Wickham, Bakary Sako and Dwight Gayle all remain injured.
Chelsea have striker Diego Costa back from suspension.
Gary Cahill is expected to shake off a minor ankle injury but Loic Remy is doubtful and Radamel Falcao again misses out.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Jonathan Pearce "This will be tight and low scoring. Palace without Yannick Bolasie have lacked zip in successive goalless draws. They need a new striker. Patrick Bamford, Fraizer Campbell, Marouane Chamakh, Dwight Gayle and Connor Wickham haven't scored a league goal from open play.
"Injuries haven't helped. Now the suspension of Yohan Cabaye will also hit hard. But Scott Dann, statistically the most impressive English Premier League centre-back this season, could keep Chelsea at bay.
"The atmosphere at the fallen champions has improved under Guus Hiddink. They're unbeaten in three. Hazard's form is returning. Diego Costa will be back to bully Palace. This could be their first away win since August."
Twitter: @jpearcefootball
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew: "The results suggest my first year has gone well. I've bonded with the chairman and we have a fanbase second to none.
"We've had an unbelievable year but you can't stand still in the Premier League. I'd like a striker in the window
"With the bodies we have available I'm confident but Chelsea looked more assured against Man Utd so they're favourites".
Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink: "We had two tough games against Watford and Manchester United.
"The physical intensity was high in both games, but we didn't have big damage."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Diego Costa was suspended for last Monday's stalemate against Manchester United, but has looked a better player since Jose Mourinho's departure, scoring twice against Watford. He is available again for this trip to Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace, by contrast, are running a little low with Yannick Bolasie and Connor Wickham out injured, and Yohan Cabaye suspended.
- Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in ourPredictor game.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Victory for Palace would see them complete a first ever league double over Chelsea.
- Chelsea have lost two of their last four games against Crystal Palace, having been unbeaten in the previous 12 league meetings (W8, D4).
- The Blues have beaten Palace nine times in the Premier League - only Manchester United and Arsenal, with 10, have won more games against the Eagles.
Crystal Palace
- Palace have 31 points from their opening 19 games. They had just 16 at this stage of each of the last two seasons since they won promotion.
- The Eagles have never won their first Premier League game of a new year (D2, L4).
- They have conceded just two goals in their last five games - including only one from open play, scored by Everton's Romelu Lukaku.
- Palace could equal a club record of three successive goalless draws, set on three previous occasions, although never in the Premier League.
- They have lost four of their last five Premier League London derbies, the exception being August's 2-1 win at Chelsea.
- Alan Pardew has won five of eight Premier League matches against Chelsea since 2012 - no other manager has won more than two in that period.
Chelsea
- The Blues are winless in their last seven Premier League away games (D3, L4).
- They have claimed six points on their travels this term - only Aston Villa and Sunderland have poorer records, with five and four points respectively.
- Chelsea are 26 points down on this stage of last season, when they led the table at the halfway stage with 46 points.
- Guus Hiddink has lost just one of his 15 Premier League games as Chelsea manager (W11, D3) - that was a 1-0 defeat in a London derby at Tottenham in March 2009.
- Chelsea have lost their opening match of a new year twice in the last three seasons.
- Eden Hazard has not scored in his last 21 league games for Chelsea - since he fired the winner against Palace to secure the title for the Blues last May.
Palace are chasing the league double over Chelsea, having won at Stamford Bridge last August – the first real shock of the José Mourinho implosion. And, as the form team, nobody would bet against them. Palace have lost only once in their previous nine games to sit fifth, although injuries and Yohan Cabaye’s ban stand to undermine them. Their compact and fast-breaking style will ask questions ofChelsea who welcome back Diego Costa from suspension. David Hytner
Kick-off Sunday 1.30pm
Venue Selhurst Park
Last season Crystal Palace 1 Chelsea 2
Live Sky Sports 1
Referee Kevin Friend
This season G11, Y37, R3, 3.91 cards per game
Odds H 11-4 A 11-10 D 5-2
Crystal Palace
Subs from Speroni, McCarthy, Kelly, Mariappa, Hangeland, Mutch, Lee, Kaikai, Chamakh
Doubtful Chamakh (match fitness), Delaney (ankle)
Injured Gayle, Sako (both hamstring, 16 Jan), Wickham (calf, 23 Jan), Bolasie (hip, Feb), Appiah (knee, Jan)
Suspended Cabaye (one match)
Form WDWWDD
Discipline Y31 R1
Leading scorer Cabaye 5
Chelsea
Subs from Begovic, Amelia, Rahman, Djilobodji, Cahill, Fàbregas, Ramires, Loftus-Cheek, Kenedy, Traoré, Pedro, Rémy
Doubtful Cahill (ankle), Rémy (calf), Hazard, Oscar, Willian (all match fitness)
Injured Falcao (thigh, Feb)
Suspended None
Form DLLWDD
Discipline Y32 R3
Leading scorer Costa 5
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