Manchester United vs Bournemouth: Rescheduled match could boost Crystal Palace’s FA Cup chances, says Joel Ward

Advantage: Joel Ward believes Crystal Palace could use Manchester United's rearranged game to their benefit
Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
Giuseppe Muro16 May 2016

Joel Ward believes it could work in Crystal Palace’s favour that Manchester United play their rearranged fixture with Bournemouth four days before the FA Cup Final.

United’s final Premier League game of the season was abandoned yesterday after a fake bomb was found at Old Trafford and the match will now take place tomorrow.

The rescheduled fixture will give Louis van Gaal and his team less time to prepare for Saturday’s trip for Wembley. It will also disrupt their plans this week and Ward hopes Palace will benefit.

“That might play into our favour,” he said today. “But we know it is going to be a tough game. We are playing against Manchester United so it is never going to be easy. We will just make sure we prepare right and have a good week leading up to the game.

“It is one of the biggest games in the club's history. We are going to fight and make sure we are ready to give a good account of ourselves. Hopefully we can do that.”

United missed out on Champions League qualification after Manchester City secured fourth spot, so Van Gaal may decide to rest his best players tomorrow.

Palace lost 4-1 against Southampton yesterday but, unlike United, they can now turn all their attention to Wembley.

Yohan Cabaye, Connor Wickham and Wilfried Zaha missed the defeat at St Mary's but all three will be fit for the weekend.

Scott Dann, Yannick Bolasie and Wayne Hennessey were rested and Alan Pardew is set to have his strongest side available.

Pardew said: “The lads should enjoy this week because times like this do not come around too much in your career. But then on the day we are not just going to enjoy the occasion, we are going to win.”

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