Big boost for Crystal Palace as key attacker could be back to face Liverpool

BY EDMUND BRACK

Crystal Palace could welcome back Jordan Ayew when they take on Liverpool at Selhurst Park on Sunday after Ghana were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday night.

Ayew’s brother – Andre – was sent off as Ghana finished bottom of Group C after they lost 3-2 to tournament debutants Comoros on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old started in all three of Ghana’s Group C games, but Ayew was unable to register a goal or an assist in Cameroon.

Ayew has missed Palace’s 2-1 FA Cup third round victory away at South London rivals Millwall and their 1-1 Premier League draw away at Brighton.

The South Londoners have offered to subsidise the coach travel for Hartlepool United supporters making the trip down for the FA Cup fourth round.

The League Two side have been allocated 4,700 seats in the Arthur Wait stand.

“It’s always a good draw when you play at home, but the experience is telling me that it’s not an easy draw in the FA Cup,” said Palace boss Patrick Vieira, who won the competition five times as a player.

“When you’re looking at how difficult it was for us against Millwall, and when you’re looking at teams who you expected to go through and they didn’t, we will play the best team possible again to go through to the next round.”

The Eagles welcome Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to SE25 as they aim to pick up their first points against the Reds since April 2017.

Nathan Ferguson is more prepared for first-team action after playing 75 minutes for Paddy McCarthy’s U23 side in their 3-2 win against Chelsea on Monday.

The defender made his long-awaited Palace debut in the 3-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day.

The fixture is too soon for midfielder James McArthur, despite the Scot stepping up his training load after suffering a hamstring injury in November.

James Tomkins is also unavailable after picking up an injury in the build up to last week’s clash against Brighton.

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD