Crystal Palace's new manager Tony Pulis will be in charge of his first home game, when the Eagles host London rivals West Ham United at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Tuesday.
The former Stoke City boss lost his first match with Palace on Saturday at Carrow Road, where Gary Hooper's goal gave Norwich City a 1-0 win. The Eagles are currently rockbottom in the league table, six points adrift of safety, and are looking for their first home win since August.
"A victory would help us enormously, and six points could set us up before the transfer window opens, which will give me an opportunity to do things. If we were to win both matches this week, it would help create some breathing space. I haven't set us a points target, but I am confident we can pull it off," Pulis stressed.
"By January I will have been in charge for a month and will have a greater idea of what we need. I know it will take me a couple of weeks to get my feet under the table but two wins would really help. And I cannot wait to see how the fans react to what we are doing," the Welshman added.
West Ham, on the other hand, moved three points clear of the drop zone with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Fulham on Saturday, also ending a run of five games without a win. Sam Allardyce will now be looking to push his side further away from the relegation battle with a victory against another bottom-placed London outfit on Tuesday.
"The win [against Fulham] is just a small contribution to help the situation we're in, but we have to enlarge on that. Saturday will have been a waste if we lose to Crystal Palace because they're below us and will gain three points on us," Allardyce pointed out.
Team News
Palace: Pulis will be without winger Yannick Bolasie, who joins long-term casualties defender Jack Hunt and striker Glenn Murray on the sidelines for this tie. Meanwhile, midfielder Adlene Guedioura is yet to recover from a rib injury and is unlikely to feature.
West Ham: Striker Andy Carroll (heel), winger Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder) and defenders Winston Reid (ankle) and Razvan Rat (hamstring) remain sidelined for the Hammers, while Carlton Cole and Joe Cole, who both came on to score against Fulham, will be pushing for starting spots.
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for a 1.30 am IST start on Wednesday morning, with live coverage on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD2. You can also catch the match via live streaming by clicking HERE. To watch the action in the U.S., click HERE. To live stream it in the U.K., click HERE. Viewers in the Middle East and North Africa can click HERE.
Expected lineups
Palace: Speroni; Ward, Delaney, Gabbidon, Moxey; Puncheon, Dikgacoi, Jedinak, Bannan; Jerome, Chamakh
West Ham: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney; Diame, Noble; Downing, Nolan, J Cole; C Cole
Prediction: 1-1
