Palace can make it three consecutive Premier League wins for the first time in more than two years with victory over Nottingham Forest, in the final round of Premier League fixtures before the World Cup break.
Almost 10 years have passed since the two sides last met in December 2012, as Palace continued their journey towards promotion to the Premier League.
Glenn Murray struck twice at the City Ground, first to give Palace the lead and then to pull them level in a thrilling 2-2 draw – ably assisted in attack by a young Wilfried Zaha.
The last time the two met at Selhurst, Zaha started alongside another current member of the squad: Joel Ward.
It was a tough night to take in the League Cup at St James’ Park as Palace fell to defeat on penalties, but in the Premier League their fortunes are more favourable.
Back-to-back wins against Southampton and West Ham mean Palace are in the top-half and level on points with Liverpool, just two points off the Europa League places. With the lengthy winter break on the horizon, Vieira will be keen to provide the best possible platform for the second half of the season.
The Eagles have lost four games this season, but three were against sides in European competition in Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal; their record against teams in the bottom-half of the table is strong.
Nottingham Forest have had a tricky start to life back in the Premier League, winning just one of their last 10 games – but they have shown faith in their manager Steve Cooper’s ability to resurrect the team’s fortunes by handing him a new contract.
There have been some mightily impressive results too, but none more so than victory at the City Ground against Liverpool in October. Indeed, both of Forest’s Premier League wins have come at home, with the other against West Ham.
Sitting bottom of the table, Cooper will be determined to see his side head into the World Cup in a healthier position and a win against Palace could even lift them out of the relegation zone.
A visit to Forest will mean a reunion with former Palace midfielder Cheikhou Kouyaté, who played 141 times for the south Londoners.
Wilfried Zaha once again demonstrated his utility as a more traditional No.9 against West Ham, as he hovered on the shoulders of the back-four and pounced onto Ebere Eze’s interception to tuck home the equaliser.
It is another example of Vieira’s wish for flexibility on the pitch: Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta could lead the line, allowing Zaha to shift back to the left-hand side. Similarly, Michael Olise has operated as a No.8 this season, but drifted in from the right to score the 94th-minute winner against West Ham; he and Ayew have shared responsibilities in both positions so far.
Steve Cooper will hope that Kouyaté’s knowledge of Palace’s midfield can prove an advantage, alongside summer signing Morgan Gibbs-White.
Emmanuel Dennis and Brennan Johnson will likely lead the line, but could be assisted by Liverpool match-winner Taiwo Awoniyi.
Watch live
The game will not be broadcast live in the UK.
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On Palace TV+
Live audio commentary Nottingham Forest v Palace will be available on Palace TV+, a subscription service that gives subscribers live access to selected Academy match broadcasts, live audio commentary of all league and cup first-team games, and much more.
Find out more by clicking here.
Social media
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The official app
The official Palace app’s match centre and live blog is the place to be for everything you need during the Nottingham Forest clash. With live stats and alerts, a running match commentary feed and lineups the moment they’re released as well as post-match reaction from Palace TV+, there’s no need to leave the app to follow the Eagles’ efforts.