Hazard back on the left wing as Giroud returns to the Chelsea team

The first of four Premier League matches kicks off at 12:00 GMT today, with Crystal Palace taking on Chelsea at Selhurst Park.

Maurizio Sarri has made two changes to his Chelsea team from the side that beat Watford, one of which is significant to the role of Eden Hazard.

Olivier Giroud replaces the injured Pedro in the Blues’ front three, meaning a return to the left flank for Hazard as Willian moves over to the opposite wing.

Ross Barkley is preferred to Mateo Kovacic in central midfield in Sarri’s only other alteration, while Alvaro Morata and Andreas Christensen are back among the substitutes after recovering from injury.

Roy Hodgson has made only one change to his Crystal Palace side, with Jeffrey Schlupp ousting Max Meyer on the left of midfield.

Whether that means a return to the 4-5-1 formation that was so successful at the Etihad a week ago remains to be seen, but in such an eventuality Andros Townsend would likely move back to the right wing with James McArthur tucking inside.

Wayne Hennessey is fit again after a back injury but Vicente Guaita keeps his place.

The Eagles have kept clean sheets in each of their last three matches at Selhurst Park, while Hazard will be up against Aaron Wan-Bissaka today – the youngster having got the better of Leroy Sane and Anthony Martial in recent times when up against the two in-form left-wingers.

Hazard though is averaging 9.6 points per match in his last five Premier League appearances on the road.

Marcos Alonso, meanwhile, has only scored a total of four FPL points in his last four starts away from home.

Crystal Palace XI (4-4-2/4-5-1): Guaita; Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt; McArthur, Milivojevic, Kouyaté, Schlupp; Townsend, Zaha.

Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Barkley; Hazard, Giroud, Willian.

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