Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson suffered a knock today, during the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, which was bad enough to require treatment, but he played through it. Given that the “injury” wasn’t severe enough to remove him from action, you can safely say that Palace “emerged unscathed from injury today, ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Aston Villa in the FA Cup semifinals.
Also, the result (in which the Gunners left two potential points on the table) left Liverpool within just one point of securing the Premier League title.
FA Cup Semifinal FYIs
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
Kickoff: Sat. Apr. 26, Wembley Stadium, London, UK
Team News and Starting Lineup Predictions: Aston Villa Crystal Palace
Fun Fact: Palace are undefeated in their last four (W3D1) against Villa across all competitions.
Crystal Palace Team News
So the Eagles did the Reds a solid today, to be sure. Now we’ll just shift gears to south Londoners injury report. They have been without Cheick Doucoure and Chadi Riad Dnanou since late January, both due to knee injuries.
Meanwhile Chelsea loanee Ben Chilwell, should be available here, as he’s been battling an unspecified illness. However, he did not make the matchday squad today.
Chris Richards missed out due to suspension today, but he’ll be eligible again on the weekend. The American will slot straight back into the first team.
Crystal Starting Lineup Prediction 3-4-2-1
Dean Henderson; Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guehi; Daniel Munoz, Jefferson Lerma, Will Hughes, Tyrick Mitchell; Ebechi Eze, Ismaila Sarr; Jean-Phillipe Mateta
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter