Patrick Vieira has handed Jesurun Rak-Sakyi his first start for Crystal Palace this afternoon against Manchester United as the Eagles hope to end the season on a high.
The 19-year-old winger, who made his first-team debut off the bench against Chelsea on the first day of the campaign, is one of five changes for the Eagles from their 3-2 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Thursday night. That loss against the Toffees means Palace's only chance of finishing in the top half of the Premier League table this season requires them to win this today as well as have results go their way elsewhere, with Vieira trusting in Rak-Sakyi to help them try and do their part.
The teenager replaces Jordan Ayew on the right side of the front three, with Jean-Philippe Mateta also dropped in favour of Odsonne Edouard. Marc Guehi’s injury picked up against Everton last time out means Joel Ward has been drafted in to play at centre-back while Conor Gallagher starts in midfield in place of JEberechi Eze for his final game in red and blue before heading back to Chelsea this summer.
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Vicente Guaita starts in goal, while Ward is partnered with Joachim Andersen ahead of him at centre-back, with Tyrick Mitchell and Nathaniel Clyne completing the back four. Mitchell’s involvement ties him with the absent Guehi as Vieira’s most-used player in the Premier League this season with 36 appearances each, though the centre-back still has the most across all competitions with 42.
In midfield, Will Hughes starts in the deeper role while, ahead of him, Schlupp keep his place from the midweek defeat on Merseyside while Eze drops out for Gallagher. The Chelsea loanee has been a fan favourite throughout the campaign but hasn’t found the net at Selhurst Park since his brace against Everton in December, with Vieira handing him one last chance to potentially grab a goodbye goal this afternoon.
Up front, Wilfried Zaha is on the left once again while Edouard finishes his debut season at the club by making just his 18th league start of the campaign. His return of six goals for the term has been underwhelming given the profile of his signing on deadline day last summer, though he has spent much of the last four months playing second fiddle to Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Rak-Sakyi completes the lineup on the right side making his first start for the team and second appearance following his 15-minute cameo on the opening day against Chelsea. He is one of four players to have come from the Palace academy to be starting the game today alongside Mitchell, Clyne and Zaha.
Crystal Palace XI : Guaita, Clyne, Ward, Andersen, Mitchell, Hughes, Gallagher, Schlupp, Rak-Sakyi, Edouard, Zaha.
Substitutes: Butland, Milivojevic, Kouyate, Ayew, Eze, Mateta, McArthur, Benteke, Kelly.
