When Wilfried Zaha got injured, Roy Hodgson must have been terrified for his Crystal Palace side, especially after a 2-0 loss to Leeds United, followed by a 3-0 loss to Burnley.
However, the manager seemed to focus more the defence of his team without their star player, managing five points from his last three games against Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham and Manchester United.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to maintain their two match winning run on Sunday and keep their pursuit on the top four going - when Jose Mourinho's side welcome Palace to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Wilfried Zaha is likely to be in the matchday squad after Hodgson confirmed the striker trained with the first team squad this week.
Full-backs, Tyrick Mitchell and Nathaniel Clyne, are still both out with muscle injuries and midfielder, James McCarthy, picked up an injury last time out against United, which forced him off the pitch.
Other than that, there are no new injury concerns with midfielder, James McArthur, nursing a calf injury and defenders, Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins, no closer to a return soon either.
Crystal Palace's predicted starting XI against Tottenham:
Goalkeeper - Vicente Guaita
Surely when the Spanish goalkeeper is fit, he has to be one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Vicente Guaita is known for his great reflex saves, putting in some outstanding saves to keep important clean sheets for his team, especially in the last couple of games without Zaha, as the keeper has been very important in his side's three game unbeaten run.
The Crystal Palace goalkeeper has made some great saves of late, keeping out efforts from Josh Maja and Nemanja Matic, that looked destined to go in, if not for his outstanding efforts.
His reliability must make him a real favourite of Roy Hodgson, who will likely be playing the keeper against Spurs on Sunday.
Right-back - Joel Ward
Nathaniel Clyne's injury has really paved the way for the 31-year-old right back to shine, putting in some really important tackles and interceptions for his defence.
Joel Ward was an important reason as to why The Eagles kept a clean sheet against United on Wednesday, making a vital sliding interception to stop Edinson Cavani from scoring a tap in.
A good argument could be given for a lack of fitness meaning Martin Kelly could feature, but Ward deserves to keep his place in the team.
Center-back - Cheikhou Kouyate
The centerback partnership of Cheikhou Kouyate and Gary Cahill must be something that excites Palace fans, as the duo have grown a strong understanding of late, putting in tremendous defensive displays and game winning plays such as huge headed clearances and big goal-stopping blocks
The midfielder turned defender, shone against Manchester United and if he puts in a similar performance on Sunday, Spurs will have some serious problems.
Center-back - Gary Cahill
The former Chelsea defender is aging like a fine wine, getting better and more integral in the Palace backline.
The way Gary Cahill marshalled the back four must be a big part of why teams cannot score against them and, this must be something Roy Hodgson is internally grateful for.
The 35 year old defender must be enjoying his football at Selhurst Park as there seems to be a strong level of trust with him and the manager and this reliability seems to be paying off.
Left-back - Patrick Van Aanholt
The Dutch full-back is a great addition to the side, with his forward runs and ability to find space making him a great asset.
With an injury to Tyrick Mitchell, Patrick Van Aanholt has been playing a lot more and his inclusion has been important for blocking crosses.
His forward thinking nearly paid off massively against United when he had a chance to perform another smash and grab win for his team late on, if not for the onrushing Dean Henderson making sure both teams settled for a point.
Left-midfielder - Eberechi Eze
The former Queens Park Rangers player has settled in well for The Eagles, putting in some unbelievable performances and scoring some superb solo goals for the team.
Eberechi Eze's passing and movement on and off the ball was important for Palace against United, and this could prove to provide a real issue for Spurs and Matt Doherty in the right-back position, who has struggled since joining the North London team.
Center-mid - Luka Milivojevic
The Serbian stalwart has been a strong feature for Palace since 2017, making this position his own and being vital in Roy Hodgson's system. His passing and dispossessing of opponents in the midfield makes life so much easier for his defenders.
Luka Milivojevic has become hugely important for Palace and he is likely to feature in their next outing against Spurs
Center-mid - Jairo Riedewald
Jairo Riedewald is likely to feature against Spurs after James McCarthy's injury in the United game.
This inclusion can only be a positive one though for the manager as the midfielder is having one of his best seasons for Palace so far and he is likely to continue that against Jose Mourinho's Tottenham side this weekend.
Right-midfielder - Andros Townsend
Andros Townsend's anticipation against United is something that must be pleasing for Crystal Palace fans. There were multiple occasions early on where the former Tottenham winger intercepted loose balls played out by the United defenders.
The way Crystal Palace's system has improved means that soon, goals will be added to their style of play and Townsend is likely to be a key provider in making sure Spurs have a bumpy ride on Sunday.
Striker - Jordan Ayew
The forward play from Jordan Ayew against United was outstanding. The striker did well to find space and he broke through their offside trap multiple times, getting in behind, causing problems for the United defence.
He dribbled the ball expertly through and past defenders and this could be a very important part of whether or not Palace get anything out of their battle with Spurs
Striker - Wilfried Zaha
This spot is likely to be the one up for most contention recently. Is it too early to add the striker back into the mix?
Wilfried Zaha has become an important figure for this team and Roy Hodgson will be cautious about rushing him back too fast
But with Christian Benteke playing on Thursday, it is likely his fitness may struggle and Roy Hodgson might be looking for a reliable source of goals through Zaha as soon as he possibly can.
Subs: Butland, Dann, Mateta, Schlupp, Benteke, Wickham, Batshuayi, Kelly, Hannam