Eberechi Eze and Jordan Ayew hand Crystal Palace major fitness boost ahead of Brighton Premier League game

Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze is pushing to start while Jordan Ayew, who missed the entertaining draw at Manchester City last weekend returns for the derby game against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Jordan Ayew sat out the game after his sending off against Liverpool in their 2-1 defeat while Eze just made the last few minutes as it was his first game back. Crystal Palace are without a win against Brighton in their last four games and the latest defeat to the Seagulls last season saw ex-manager Patrick Vieira lose his job.

Manger Roy Hodgson's side have only won four games all season and the Eagles boss told reporters ahead of the game that he Eze was pusing for start. He said: "Joel Ward, as I think everyone knows, picked up an injury, unfortunately, last weekend. 

"He's had a scan, so we will be missing him for a while. So that is a new injury concern. Eberechi Eze is coming on very well. He is on the cusp, really, and it's a decision we will have to make over the course of the next few hours (on Wednesday).

"We have had a real (fitness) boost over the last couple of weeks with the emergence of a couple of younger players."

Only three first-half goals have been scored in the eight Premier League games at Selhurst Park this season, one for Palace and two for the away side so Roy Hodgson will be hoping that the return of Eze provides the creative spark his team needs.