Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough team news: Andros Townsend returns for Palace while Stewart Downing keeps place in Boro side
Mamadou Sakho handed debut with Yohan Cabaye back for Palace and Boro boss Aitor Karanka keeps Stewart Downing in the starting line up
Sponsored by
CRYSTAL PALACE boss Sam Allardyce has handed home debut to Mamadou Sakho and is boosted by the return of Yohan Cabaye as they face Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park this afternoon.
England winger Andros Towsend gets an Eagles recall while Mathieu Flamini and Loic Remy are not in the matchday squad.
Boro boos Aitor Karanka has kept faith with Stewart Downing, but Rudy Gestede drops to the bench after his goal against Oxford United in the FA Cup last weekend.
The Eagles have won just one in their last 11 Premier League games and now find themselves in the bottom three, two points adrift of safety.
Where can I watch it?
As is the way with 3pm kick-offs on Saturday, this game will not be broadcast live in the UK.
You can keep up to date with all the games on the SunSports live blog, or on the radio with Matchday Live on talkSPORT.
Highlights will be available from 5.15pm on the Sun Football app and you can watch highlights on Match of the Day on Saturday evening at 10:30pm on BBC1.
When is Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough?
The match at Selhurst Park kicks off at 3pm on Saturday February 25
What is the latest Crystal Palace team news?
Defender Scott Dann is a major doubt for Saturday with a hamstring injury.
What is the latest Middlesbrough team news?
George Friend is hoping to be fit after a calf strain while Antonio Barragan is a doubt with a hamstring injury.
Form
Crystal Palace: LLWLL
Middlesbrough: DLDLDL
SunSport prediction
You think at some point Allardyce will start to get it right at Palace while Boro are decent on the road with six draws. Palace to win 2-1.
Match stats
- The Eagles won the reverse fixture 2-1 back in September – they’ve not done a league double over
- Middlesbrough since the first ever Premier League campaign in 1992-93.
- Middlesbrough won their last Premier League game at Selhurst Park; 1-0 in April 2005 thanks to a Franck Queudrue goal.
- None of the last 15 league meetings between these sides at Selhurst Park have ended in a draw, with Crystal Palace winning 10 of these.
- Wilfried Zaha has been involved in four goals in his last two league games against Middlesbrough (one goal, three assists).
- Sam Allardyce has won just one of his first eight league games as Crystal Palace manager, his worst start at a club since Notts County when he didn’t win any of his first 15.
- Allardyce hasn’t won any of his last nine Premier League games against Middlesbrough as a manager(W0 D6 L3), last beating them in September 2003 as Bolton boss.
- Middlesbrough are on the current longest winless run in the Premier League, failing to win any of their last eight games (W0 D4 L4).
- Crystal Palace have failed to score in four of their last five Premier League games, the exception being the 2-0 win over Bournemouth at the end of January.
- Despite scoring the same number of Premier League goals this season for Palace as he did for Liverpool last season (9), Christian Benteke has failed to score in nine of his last 10 league games for the club.
- Middlesbrough have conceded just 13 times on the road this season in the Premier League in 12 games(1.1 goals per game). Only Chelsea (11) and Manchester United have conceded fewer away goals.
- Just 24% of Middlesbrough’s passes this season have been made in the attacking third of the pitch; the lowest proportion in the Premier League.
Your Say - Poll