Crystal Palace will continue their pre-season preparations ahead of the new campaign with a trip to Loftus Road to face Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
While this game will be QPR's final warm-up match before the new season begins, it is the penultimate friendly fixture for the Eagles, who are still to face Montpellier later this week.
Match preview
© Reuters
After playing out a 1-1 draw with German third-tier outfit Hallescher last weekend, QPR returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as they secured an 8-2 victory away at Wealdstone on Wednesday.
A hat-trick from Lyndon Dykes and strikes from Sam Field, Ilias Chair and Kenneth Paal put the R's into a commanding 6-0 lead at half time, before George Thomas and Macauley Bonne got their names on the scoresheet in the second half.
Earlier this summer, Michael Beale – who has replaced Mark Warburton as head coach – saw his new side play out a 3-3 draw with Crawley Town in their opening pre-season fixture before claiming a comfortable 4-0 win over German outfit Zwickau.
QPR, who will be competing in the Championship for the eighth successive season this term, now have one final friendly against Crystal Palace before their 2022-23 campaign gets underway away at Blackburn Rovers on July 30.
The last time that the R's faced Crystal Palace was back in March 2015 when they lost 3-1 in the Premier League, before suffering relegation to the second tier at the end of the season.
© Reuters
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira is experiencing a disjointed pre-season this summer, with only 10 senior players travelling on the club's pre-season tour of Australia. While some players have failed to meet the country's entry requirements, others were deemed to have had fitness issues.
Vieira's limited squad have suffered back-to-back defeats Down Under, losing 2-0 to Liverpool last week before Manchester United condemned them to a 3-1 defeat on Tuesday.
Back in England, meanwhile, assistant manager Osian Roberts has been in control of proceedings with the remaining players who have not travelled to Australia, and he will be in the dugout for Saturday's clash with QPR.
Roberts and co have had more success in pre-season so far, albeit against much weaker opposition, with a 4-2 victory over Ipswich Town followed by a 3-2 win against Gillingham on Tuesday.
The entire first-team squad is scheduled to reunite for their final warm-up match against Montpellier next week, which takes places just six days before their Premier League opener against Arsenal on August 5.
- D
- W
- D
- W
- D
- W
- L
- W
- L
- W
Team News
© Reuters
QPR boss Beale used two completely different lineups in each half against Wealdstone and he may opt for the same strategy on Saturday.
Summer signings Jake Clarke-Salter and Kenneth Paal could be handed starts again in defence, while Tyler Roberts and Luke Amos are set to miss out again due to injury.
Dykes, who has scored four goals in his last three games, will be looking to build on his form in front of goal, while the likes of Chair and Olamide Shodipo could join the Australian in attack.
As for Crystal Palace, the likes of Luka Milivojevic, Tyrick Mitchell, Vicente Guaita, Joachim Andersen, Odsonne Edouard, Jordan Ayew and Jean-Philippe Mateta are among Vieira's squad in Australia.
Summer signing Cheick Doucoure, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, Jeffrey Schlupp, Will Hughes and Jairo Riedewald are among the group who have remained in England and will be in contention to play on Saturday.
Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke were both on the scoresheet in the win over Gillingham, with the former scoring a brace, and the attacking duo are expected to feature against QPR.
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Dieng; Kakay, Dickie, Clarke-Salter, Paal; Johansen, Field, Dozzell; Shodipo, Dykes, Chair
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Goodman, D. Boateng, Sheridan, Guehi, Riedewald; Schlupp, Doucoure, Eze; Plange, Benteke, Zaha
We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Crystal Palace
Neither side have had any problems finding the net so far this summer, and we expect them to have plenty of joy in the final third once again on Sunday.
QPR are yet to lose so far in pre-season, but we can see their Premier League counterparts coming out on top at Loftus Road.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
