Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info

One of the most exciting days on the English footballing calendar has arrived as Crystal Palace take on Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in the FA Cup final on Saturday evening.

It is a rematch of a legendary encounter between the two sides in 1990, when Ian Wright scored a brace for Palace as the two teams played out a 3-3 draw. In those days, of course, a draw after extra time meant a replay, which saw United win 1-0. 

David Cannon/Getty Images

Alan Pardew played for Palace that day. Speaking ahead of this game he said, per the Press Association (h/t MailOnline): 

"

I feel the weight of the history of not winning something.

We take one final which we lost into the game, so this group of players have an opportunity to put something permanent there—a first major trophy for Crystal Palace.

One or two of these players will never play in a final again and this is an opportunity to get a winner's medal, which is so hard. Like the Leicester players, winning the FA Cup would mean the same for us.

Steve Coppell was here; I've leant on him in a couple of bits. I've spoken to Alan Smith, looked at the history of 1990 and of the history since. It's a club with a certain DNA. It would be good for the club and for our history for us to win something.

[There was a] great camaraderie in that [1990] group. I hope this group has that same ongoing history as we had. We're all very close friends, it bonded us. It made this club to a degree, that cup final.

Friendships—I'd prefer those friendships to have carried through as winners. That's the message I'll give to my players.

"

Speaking of his team and their chances, Louis van Gaal said, per Paul Wilson of the Guardian: 

"

Silverware is always important, because it is an exciting moment to be close to winning a trophy. A qualification is not a title but a Cup win would be. The players can look at the Cup and hold it—it would be an achievement—but at the moment we are only close and close is not enough.

For Manchester United this would be a big title, I think, the first Cup win since 2004, but we still have to beat Crystal Palace to win it and finals can never be predicted.

"

For either club, it would represent a historic win: for Palace, a first major trophy, and for United, the chance to draw back level with Arsenal as the team that has won the FA Cup the most. There will be a long summer of speculation after this game, but for a couple of hours on Saturday evening, two teams will compete, and the winner will be awarded a trophy.

It is football at its simplest, at its most romantic. Hopefully it will be a game to match the occasion. 

Match Information

Date: Saturday, May 21

Time: 5.30 p.m. BST/12.30 p.m. ET

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, England

TV Info: BBC One (UK only)/FOX (U.S. only)

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (UK only)/FOX Soccer 2 Go (U.S. only)

Form Lines

Manchester United: WWDWLW

Crystal Palace: DLWLWL

Team News

According to Palace's website: 

"

Joe Ledley will definitely sit out the game with a fractured fibula sustained in the win against Stoke City a fortnight ago.

Palace's only other doubt is Wilfried Zaha who has missed the past few games but he is expected to make a fully recovery from a slight hamstring injury, but Marouane Chamakh is out with an adductor injury.

"

Van Gaal told MUTV (h/t ManUtd.com) that Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian were no longer injured. Additionally, the club's website reported that Morgan Schneiderlin was back in training on Thursday after missing the Bournemouth game with illness. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Luke Shaw are still out with long-term injuries.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News reported that Memphis Depay and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson have missed out on a place in the squad.

Predicted Lineups

Crystal Palace

Palace's lineup will likely see at least 10 of the 11 players who have played the most league minutes for the side this season take part. The one key selection dilemma for Pardew is whether to play Mile Jedinak ahead of Jason Puncheon, Yohan Cabaye or James McArthur.

It would be a pretty defensive move to exclude Puncheon and would cost Palace pace on the break in favour of more solidity in midfield.

Manchester United

Marouane Fellaini will likely return in order to help provide height at set pieces. He also scored in both the quarter- and semi-finals. Jesse Lingard may start ahead of him or even conceivably ahead of Juan Mata, though the latter would be a remarkably retrograde decision. Mata has been in good form of late and Lingard has neither goal nor assist since the end of February.

With Borthwick-Jackson absent from the squad, Rojo will likely return at left-back.

Players to Watch

Palace's wingers are the men tasked with providing the magic. Wilfried Zaha was in excellent form when the two sides met at Old Trafford in April. He completed a remarkable nine dribbles of 14 attempts and won back possession with five successful tackles out of six attempts.

Yannick Bolasie was absent from that game, but when the two sides met at Selhurst Park in October 2015, he caused United plenty of bother. The four dribbles he completed that day were the most of any player on the pitch, and no one had more shots than his three.

A word here for Puncheon, who has been a key creative force for Palace. He averages two key passes per 90 minutes of league football this season, the most of any Palace player with more than five appearances to their name. Mata and Wayne Rooney, for comparison, average about 1.5 each.

United's key players in this game will likely be Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. The two combined brilliantly in the Red Devils' final league game of the season against Bournemouth, and this FA Cup run has seen both shine. Martial has either scored or assisted fully half of his side's goals on the road to Wembley.

Key Battle

Martial vs. Joel Ward will be a key battle in terms of United's attack. For more on that, see here.

The battle in the middle of the park will be intriguing. Rooney has been at his best in midfield when allowed time and space on the ball. McArthur will look to deny him that space, as would Jedinak if he should play a part. The outcome of that matchup could determine much about how effective United's possession will be.

Finally, United's full-backs will have to be on their game to deal with Palace's counter-attacking threat down the flanks. 

Odds

Crystal Palace: 9-2

Draw: 11-4

Manchester United: 4-5

Odds for the game correct at the time of writing, per Odds Shark.

Advanced statistics per WhoScored.com.