Crystal Palace v Chelsea: Eagles star close to return, Blues duo set to miss out

Christian Benteke is Crystal Palace’s only injury absentee ahead of the visit of Chelsea but is getting nearer to making his return.

The striker remains on the sidelines with a knee injury but is expected back early in the new year.

Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey (back) and full-back Martin Kelly (adductor) are back in training and expected to be available, handing Roy Hodgson a selection dilemma, with Vicente Guaita having performed well in Hennessey’s absence.

Provisional squad: Hennessey, Guaita, Speroni, Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, Van Aanholt, Dann, Kelly, Souare, Riedewald, Townsend, Kouyate, McArthur, Meyer, Milivojevic, Puncheon, Schlupp, Ayew, Kaikai, Sorloth, Wickham, Zaha.

Pedro will miss Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday due to a hamstring injury.

The Spain forward limped out of the 2-1 Boxing Day win at Watford, and could now be sidelined for two weeks.

Callum Hudson-Odoi will face a late fitness test after picking up a hamstring concern of his own at Watford and looks likely to be unavailable too, but Alvaro Morata is fully fit.

Provisional squad: Kepa, Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Fabregas, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Hazard, Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Giroud, Zappacosta, Willian, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Morata, Luiz, Emerson Palmieri, Ampadu, Hudson-Odoi.