Two clubs desperate to reach Wembley will clash at the final step prior as Crystal Palace host fellow Premier League side Aston Villa at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Palace have never won the FA Cup in club history, while Aston Villa last won the crown in 1957, so this is a rare opportunity for both teams.
With Nottingham Forest and Man City in the other semifinal, there is a general feeling that this year’s competition remains wide open. Both those two teams have some attention on their league standing as they chase Champions League qualification, giving the winner from this game a potential advantage in the upcoming final.
Another advantage is their empty injury room, with both sides looking at or near full fitness as they make a late-season push in the domestic cup competition.
The Sporting News runs through the latest team news and injury updates for both sides as the match draws nearer.
Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa lineups, predicted starting 11, team news
While Crystal Palace don’t boast the squeaky clean injury list that Aston Villa possess, they’re exceedingly close to having one of their own as well.
Only Cheick Doucoure and Chadi Riad are absent with fitness concerns, while Ben Chilwell missed training on Thursday due to illness leaving his status up in the air. Otherwise, the entire squad is fully fit.
American international Chris Richards is likely to return to the lineup after missing out on the recent draw with Arsenal due to suspension, while Adam Wharton returned to a starting role against the Gunners after his injury absence.
Crystal Palace predicted XI (3-4-3, right to left): Henderson (GK) — Richards, Lacroix, Guehi — Munoz, Lerma, Hughes, Mitchell — Kamada, Mateta, Eze.
Injured: Chilwell (illness, doubt), Doucoure (knee), Riad (knee).
Suspended: None.
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Unai Emery has an entirely clean bill of health to work with at Aston Villa. The biggest question for the Villa boss is how to manage his front line. Between Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Marco Asensio, Jacob Ramsey, and Donyell Malen, there are plenty of options but not enough room for everyone to start.
Watkins did not start either of the Champions League quarterfinal games, and he sat to begin the Man City loss as well midweek, so Emery may look to bring him back in.
Also looking to reenter the starting lineup are John McGinn and Andres Garcia, with both seeing less time of late.
Aston Villa predicted XI (4-3-2-1, right to left): E. Martinez (GK) — Garcia, Konsa, Mings, Digne — Kamara, Tielemans, Onana — Rogers, Rashford — Watkins.
Injured: None.
Suspended: None.
Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this FA Cup semifinal across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Date | Time | TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | Sat, Apr. 26 | 12:15 p.m. ET / 9:15 a.m. PT | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | Sat. Apr. 26 | 12:15 p.m. ET / 9:15 a.m. PT | Sportsnet | Sportsnet Now |
| UK | Sat, Apr. 26 | 5:15 p.m. BST | BBC One | BBC iPlayer |
| Australia | Sun, Apr. 27 | 4:15 a.m. AEST | — | Optus Sport |
| India | Sat, Apr. 26 | 9:45 p.m. IST | Sony TEN 2, 3, 4 | Sony LIV, JioTV |
