The Eagles will kick off against Leeds United at Elland Road at 20:00 GMT tonight – exactly 48 hours after doing so in the UEFA Conference League against KuPS Kuopio at Selhurst Park, albeit with Manager Oliver Glasner having confirmed he will field an entirely distinct starting XI.
It is therefore planned for Lacroix to start at Leeds – which itself will kick off 72 hours before a League Cup quarter-final away to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. All in all, by the time of 10th January’s FA Cup match at Macclesfield, Palace will have played 15 times in 49 days since the November international break.
“I think the most important thing right now is to be ready on the pitch,” Lacroix, who has played every minute of Palace’s league campaign so far this season, told Premier League Productions.
“[We want] to have a good recovery and to be 100%. We can see that with a lot of games, sometimes we can have some injuries, but I think this team is like a big family – everyone wants to fight for each other.
“I think this is the main point because mentally we are ready. We will go to Leeds aiming to win and get these points.
“We enjoy it [the run] because I think we worked hard to get it. I think it's a reward to play in Europe. We are happy to play in this competition. We want to win it. This is why we train and do everything – to go further.”