Patrick Vieira will be unable to field Conor Gallagher against his parent club Chelsea when the Blues come to Selhurst Park.
Gallagher, who joined on loan in August, has played 24 times for Palace this season, scoring seven times and assisting five. His loss will be keenly felt, but Vieira said the club are well prepared for it.
Discussing Gallagher’s availability, the manager said: “We knew the rules before signing Conor so it’s no surprise he will not get involved in the games against Chelsea.
"So we’ve tried a different system and different players and still have a reflection [to make] on who will replace Conor.”
Turning his attention to other central-midfield options, Vieira confirmed that Will Hughes and James McArthur are both available if required.
He said: “Macca is getting physically much better and has been training all week with the team.
“Cheikhou [Kouyaté] has come back from the Africa Cup of Nations and we have different options in midfield.
“[Hughes] is feeling better. He managed to do a couple of training [sessions] with the team this week so will be in the squad tomorrow.”
