October 2020

Team news and stats ahead of Chelsea vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm).

Team news

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard confirmed Christian Pulisic is expected to be among the substitutes against Crystal Palace as he continues his comeback from a hamstring injury.

However, the game will come too soon for summer signing Hakim Ziyech - who will miss out again - while Billy Gilmour is "progressing well" and could be fit again in the coming weeks.

Crystal Palace have seen Gary Cahill, James Tomkins, Scott Dann and Patrick van Aanholt back in training this week, although they will not be fit to feature at Stamford Bridge having yet to play this season.

Elsewhere, Jeffrey Schlupp remains the only major absentee for Roy Hodgson.

Opta stats

Chelsea have won each of their last five Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace; they've never previously won six league games in a row against the Eagles.

Crystal Palace have won just two of their 11 Premier League away games against Chelsea (D1 L8), with those victories coming in consecutive visits in August 2015 and April 2017.

None of the last 18 Premier League meetings between Chelsea and Crystal Palace have finished level, with the Blues winning 14 to Palace's four. Only Newcastle v Tottenham (21 between 1999-2010) and Chelsea v Sunderland (19 between 2002-2014) have seen longer runs without a draw in the competition.

Chelsea have the best win rate in Premier League London derbies, with the Blues winning 132 of their 256 such games (51.6%). Meanwhile, only Fulham (19.4%) have a lower such win rate than Crystal Palace (23.1% - 24/104).

Chelsea haven't lost their opening two home league matches in a season since the 1978-79 campaign, when the Blues went on to be relegated from the top flight.

Crystal Palace are looking to win their opening two away Premier League matches of a season for the third time (also 1997-98 and 2015-16) and could become only the second team to win at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford in consecutive away Premier League games, after Sunderland in April/May 2014.