The England international goalkeeper has been absent from matchday squads since suffering a calf injury against Liverpool at the beginning of December.
But speaking in the embargoed section of his pre-match press conference, Hodgson confirmed: “He’s fit… Sam Johnstone will play tomorrow.”
With summer signing Dean Henderson impressing since coming into the side in his place, Hodgson fielded questions on managing playing time for two top-quality goalkeepers in the Palace squad.
The manager explained: “When [Vicente] Guaita went, the club found Dean Henderson, and he had to wait. He got injured [in his first game], so his wait was partly in the rehabilitation section, but he would have probably had to wait anyway, even if he hadn't have been injured, because at that moment in time Johnstone had the shirt. Now, of course, Dean Henderson has got into the team again because of Johnstone’s injury.
“There’s not really been a situation, other than the League Cup game, when both Johnstone and Henderson were fit… now, tomorrow night, both goalkeepers are fit and I can choose either one of them. But I haven't really had a situation, as yet, in a league game where both are putting their hands up and saying ‘I think I should play’ – and that will be a tough call, a very tough call.
“It's obviously comforting, in some ways, for the club to know that whichever choice I make, I'm putting a very good goalkeeper onto the field of play. It's also my job, of course, to keep players motivated, keep players wanting to play, keep players feeling that they're appreciated and that their worth is appreciated.
“They're intelligent, they know that I can't play them both and I have to make a decision, but I shall wait until the day comes when I have to make that decision… but there’s no doubt that I'm prepared to put a Crystal Palace team onto the field with either of those two in goal, because they're both good players.
“I don't think ‘dilemma’ is the right word because a dilemma is something where you're in a very unfortunate and unpleasant situation. There's nothing unfortunate or unpleasant about this – it's a decision that's got to be made, and a very difficult decision.
“So until such time as we give Sam his chance tomorrow, and then maybe Dean will come back in for the game against the Arsenal, more than likely I would think that will happen, and then we'll move on to the next game we play.
“Then, with both of them knocking on my door saying ‘I'm the one, I'm the number one, I'm the best goalkeeper’, I will have to make the decision which one I choose to play.”
