Venue: Ricoh Arena
When: Saturday, November 21
Kick Off: 3pm
Competition: Coca-Cola Championship
COVENTRY City manager Chris Coleman has said he wants his side to turn a corner against Crystal Palace after suffering four defeats in their last five games.
The Sky Blues' downturn in form has coincided with arguably the worst injury crisis during Coleman's tenure at the club with as manay as ten established first team players being unavailable at any given time through injury and illness in the past four weeks.
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OVERVIEW
NEIL Warnock's Crystal Palace currently sit 13th in the Championship table after a steady start to their 2009/10 campaign.
The Eagles are currently four games undefeats, the one win from that run coming most recently with their 1-0 home win over Middlesbrough prior to the start of the international break.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
COVENTRY City edge the all-time stats in meetings between the two clubs, having won 34 of their clashes with the Eagles, losing 30 with 31 ending in stalemates since their first meeting on January 11, 1908!
Last five fixtures
Crystal Palace 1 Coventry City 1, Coca-Cola Championship, 07/04/2009
Coventry City 0 Crystal Palace 2, Coca-Cola Championship, 08/11/2008
Coventry City 0 Crystal Palace 2, Coca-Cola Championship, 26/12/2007
Crystal Palace 1 Coventry City 1, Coca-Cola Championship, 18/09/2007
Coventry City 2 Crystal Palace 4, Coca-Cola Championship, 13/01/2007
CONNECTIONS
THERE are plenty of current connections between Coventry City and Crystal Palace with one current player, one Sky Blues legend and one manager all having pulled on the blue and red stripes in recent years.
Current City striker Clinton Morrison was an Eagles apprentice at the time when now-City manager Chris Coleman and ex-Sky Blue Richard Shaw were fully fledged first-team members.
Morrison went on to achieve legendary status himself at Selhurst Park after netting 103 goals in just over 300 games for the South London side.
LAST GAME
Crystal Palace 1 Middlesbrough 0
A DARREN Ambrose strike five minutes after the hour handed Crystal Palace their first win in six games and left new Middlesbrough manager Gordan Strachan still pointless and goalless since taking the helm at the Riverside.
Boro handed debuts to Marcus Bent and Isaac Osbourne's younger brother Isaiah but Bent was guilty of a glaring miss after firing wide infront of goal.
Ambrose then made Boro pay for their mussed chances to side foot home after Neil Dann's headed down into his path.
INJURIES AND SUSPENSIONS
Coventry City are still without Sammy Clingan (foot) and James McPake (shoulder).
Joining the list are Ben Turner (ankle), Isaac Osbourne (knee) and Jordan Clarke who is suspended for one game after being sent off in the 2-1 away defeat to Derby County.
Goalkeeper Keiren Westwood may be subject to a late fitness test after a recent back problem although Marcus Hall, David Bell and Stephen Wright could all be in contention for a place in the squad.
For Crystal Palace, Paddy McCarthy looks set to miss out.
The centre-half has been sidelined for the last three games with a shoulder injury which will eventually require surgery.
He has been given the green light to resume playing as the problem will not get any worse, but Eagles boss Neil Warnock is likely to hold him back for at least another week so Claude Davis and Jose Fonte will continue at the back.
Young winger Sean Scannell suffered a hamstring injury playing for the Republic of Ireland Under-21 side last weekend and will also be missing.
Striker Calvin Andrew is stepping up his return from a cruciate injury but is some way from full fitness, while midfielder Kieran Djilali has joined Chesterfield on a month's loan.
DANGER MAN
Darren Ambrose
The pacy wideman has been a revelation for Crystal Palace since his free transfer from last season's relegated outfit Charlton Athletic.
The 25-year-old has found the net ten times in all competitions so far this season and has formed part of a quick and complicated front line at Selhurst Park under Neil Warnock.
The Eagles boss is currently getting the best out of him and the Sky Blues will have to keep an eye on a Palace front four which, lately, have appeared to love chopping and changing their positions across the park and rarely finishing a game in the same position as they started.
BETTING
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