Alan Pardew runs into in-form Tottenham Hotspur when he takes charge of Crystal Palace in the Premier League for the first time on Saturday evening.
The 53-year-old's first game since switching St James' for Selhurst Park was an FA Cup third-round freebie against non-league Dover Athletic last weekend.
Defender Scott Dann scored twice before goals from Dwight Gayle and Kevin Doyle completed a 4-0 victory, but now Pardew's focus switches to lifting Palace out of the relegation zone with a first top-flight win in nine.
A big test awaits with the visit of a Spurs side who are unbeaten in seven matches. Harry Kane's emergence as one of the best young strikers in England has proven the catalyst for their rise to fifth in the table.
He scored twice and created two more as Spurs shocked league leaders Chelsea on New Year's Day with their best performance of Mauricio Pochettino's reign, and the Argentine will likely revert to that lineup, having made changes for the 1-1 FA Cup draw with Burnley.
Hugo Lloris, whom the Lilywhites insist is remaining at White Hart Lane amid reports over his future this week, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Andros Townsend and Kane are all in line for recalls this weekend.
Moussa Dembele and Benjamin Stambouli should be the midfield pairing, with Nabil Bentaleb away with Algeria and Ryan Mason carrying a hamstring injury. Erik Lamela is also a doubt with calf strain.
USA international right-back DeAndre Yedlin trained with Tottenham for the first time this week after completing his move from the Seattle Sounders, although he is not in contention for this London derby.
Pardew too is missing some of his key players to either the Asia Cup or Africa Cup of Nations, with captain Mile Jedinak on duty with Australia and flying machine Yannick Bolasie representing DR Congo.
That could mean a much-needed run in the team for under-performing winger Wilfried Zaha, and an opportunity for Adlene Guedioura, who has returned from a successful loan spell at Watford, in midfield.
Julian Speroni, Jason Puncheon and James McArthur, should he pass a late fitness test, will probably return at the expense of Wayne Hennessey, Stuart O'Keefe and Barry Bannan from the FA Cup team.
It is up front where Pardew has problems, with the club's forwards having scored just six Premier League goals between them this season. Swansea City's Bafetimbi Gomis has been tipped as a £9m solution in January, but Wilfried Bony's impending departure makes that unlikely.
In the meantime, the Eagles boss will choose between Fraizer Campbell, Dwight Gayle and Glenn Murray, whose spell at Reading came to an end prior to the Dover game, to lead the line. Marouane Chamakh remains out.
Palace have drawn their last two league games 0-0 under the stewardship of caretaker Keith Millen, and were unfortunate not to nick all three points when these sides played out the same scoreline in December.
Palace:
Form in Premier League: DDLLDD
Form in all competitions: DLLDDW
Possible starting lineup: Speroni; Kelly, Dann, Delaney, Ward; Guedioura, Ledley, McArthur; Zaha, Puncheon; Campbell
Spurs:
Form in Premier League: DWWWDW
Form in all competitions: WWWDWD
Possible starting lineup: Lloris; Walker, Fazio, Vertonghen, Rose; Stambouli, Dembele; Chadli, Eriksen, Townsend; Kane
Sports Mole says: 1-1
No Data Analysis info
