Palace’s all-time leading Premier League scorer strained an abductor muscle in the latter stages of training yesterday and will sit out today’s meeting with the Saints, allowing deadline day signing Ayew the chance to make his first appearance in red and blue.
He is one of two changes to the Eagles team that lost to Watford last weekend, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka replacing Joel Ward at right-back following the conclusion of his suspension, while Martin Kelly continues at centre-back in James Tomkins’ absence.
Having rested the majority of their players for the midweek Carabao Cup win against Brighton and Hove Albion, Southampton have made no switches from the starting line-up that lost 2-1 to Leicester City in their last league outing.
Mark Hughes has kept faith with the same 11 players that endured that late loss, including Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who was sent off for two bookable offense in that game but served his suspension in midweek.
Palace: Hennessey, Wan-Bissaka, Kelly, Sakho, Van Aanholt, Townsend, McArthur, Milivojevic, Schlupp, Ayew, Benteke. Subs: Guaita, Ward, Riedewald, Puncheon, Kouyaté, Meyer, Sørloth.
Southampton: McCarthy, Soares, Vestegaard, Hoedt, Bertrand, Elyounoussi, Lemina, Hojbjerg, Redmond, Long, Ings. Subs: Gunn, Targett, Yoshida, Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Austin.