Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew says strikers Connor Wickham and Marouane Chamakh will soon be in top form for the Eagles.

Wickham, who joined from Sunderland in the summer, made his first start since August in Monday's 1-0 defeat to the Black Cats while Chamakh appeared for the first time since May when coming off the bench in the second half.

It was vital for Palace that this pair got some valuable game time under their belts and despite the loss, Pardew feels there were positives to take out of the negative Selhurst Park result.

"It was Connor's first [start] back today and he was maybe lacking a bit of sharpness," said Pardew. "But he has another chance on Saturday to see if he can get back to it.

"Chamakh is a player that you sense is going to be important, but it may have been a game too soon for him.

"He hasn't had a lot of game time. I'm not sure about a start on Saturday, but he has that class and quality to make a difference."