Fulham manager Jean Tigana is likely to include record signing Alain Goma in his starting line-up for the trip to Sehurst Park.
Tigana will have to decide how best to employ the defender, who arrived at Craven Cottage on Wednesday for £4m from Newcastle.
Chris Coleman's serious injury has led to the formation of a useful partnership between Kit Symons and Andy Melville in the centre of defence, but Tigana could now break up that pairing.
There are no major injury concerns for Tigana other than Nicolas Sahnoun, who is continuing to recover from six stitches in a thigh wound.
David Hopkin returns to the Crystal Palace line-up for the first time since scoring the goal that promoted the Eagles to the Premiership in 1997.
He re-signed for Palace from Bradford on Thursday and goes straight into the starting line-up to face runaway First Division leaders Fulham at Selhurst Park.
Manager Alan Smith will be hoping that Hopkin can help halt his side's five-match losing run against Jean Tigana's Premiership-bound outfit.
Smith continues to be without the suspended Craig Harrison who serves the second of a three-match ban.
But Chinese central defender Fan Zhiyi is expected to be back in contention for a starting role after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Palace's worrying run of defeats has left them hovering above the relegation zone, but Smith has insisted that performances have not been as poor as results suggest.
Source bbc