Sunday's match will be a special one for former Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor as he returns to White Hart Lane for the first time since his move.

And Pardew believes the 31-year-old can be a key figure in the game.

"Adebayor is a player that has character, strength of belief. He can change games," he says. "He will bring his personality and his quality to the pitch and cope with the highs and lows of the game.

"For whatever reason he didn't fit how Spurs wanted to go forward. He's highly motivated to do well in the game and for Palace."

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Manuel Pellegrini and City have previously voiced their displeasure at the game being on Sunday, given their continental commitments and the Chilean said that the trip to Kiev takes precedence.

“We always try to play with a strong team in every competition - they are all important but we must prioritise the Champions League," he said. “It’s a big problem - it’s not so big if we could have played on Saturday, on Sunday it’s a major problem.”

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Manuel Pellegrini sounds more like a doctor than a football manager today, with a chunk of his news conference focusing on the assorted aches and pains of his players. 

Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Kevin De Bruyne and Wilfried Bony will all miss the tie, with the latter back training but lacking match fitness. Bacary Sagna and Vincent Kompany could be involved, though.

“We have just 13 players available to play and have to play Champions League on Wednesday," Pellegrini said, referencing his side's meeting with Dinamo Kiev in Ukraine. "We’ll see the best team we can play on Sunday.”

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“They’ll win it. They won’t be distracted by the hype and collectively they’re a bloody strong group. They’re extremely resilient."

So says Nigel Pearson, the man who signed most of the players who have taken Leicester City to the top of the Premier League before being sacked last summer, in this interview with the Times., external

Alan Pardew says that both he and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino will be keen to wrap up the match in 90 minutes on Sunday and he also hopes his side can benefit from their training camp in Spain.

"You train for a maximum 90 minutes at the training ground, but when you go away, you are together for 24 hours. It's great to bond the team and we feel it's been good for us," he says.

"The scheduling of the replays looks poor. The date for this game looks complicated to me and definitely for Spurs.

"Both managers will want to get this game done."

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Here's more from Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew, who is facing the media ahead of Sunday's London derby against Spurs.

"The FA Cup's a competition I love dearly," he says. "We're going to have a great time, but also a difficult one. We've a last-16 game against bang in-form opposition and we're taking 5,000 fans.

"Spurs' squad is very, very strong. You could change six of those players from last night and it' would still be a strong line up. We can argue that they've been one of the best teams we've played and [Hugo] Lloris probably saved them at crucial times in the two games."

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The club say Mr Wael Al Qadi - "a lifelong fan of English football and a member of the executive board of the Jordan Football Association" - will become president.

Lee Clark says Rangers' criticism of Kilmarnock's artificial pitch is a 'cheap shot', but Mark Warburton is unrepentant.

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So here's, external former Newcastle forward Tino Asprilla teaching his horse how to play football. While riding him. Dressed as a cartoon dinosaur. 

No, we don't know either...

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew admits that he has had doubts about his abilities during his side's recent poor run of form.

Palace have gone nine league games without a win and travel to Spurs in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

“Even me, at 54. During this run, I’ve been questioning myself," Pardew told the Evening Standard., external "The last two defeats by Bournemouth and Watford really hurt me."

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Hiddink also says that he wants more from Eden Hazard with the midfielder struggling for form this season.

"Hazard was in a difficult situation but he has to step up," he says. "We have had some small talks. I hope he will do it soon.'  

"I remember once he had a sprint on our right hand side [against Paris St-Germain]. That's the old Hazard and we hope to see that more frequently."  

The Dutchman added that both Hazard and his family are happy to be in England.

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British pair Holly Clyburn and Catriona Matthew lead the way on eight under par at the halfway stage of the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open, external in Adelaide. 

England's Clyburn carded an impressive seven-under-par round of 65 while Matthew eagled the par-five first hole but bogeyed the next before recovering her composure to ensure a share of the lead.

They are one shot clear of Germany's Caroline Masson, China's Xiyu Lin, Japan's Haru Nomura and Jenny Shin of Korea. 

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Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink says defender John Terry will miss Sunday's FA Cup fifth round tie against Manchester City after failing to recover from a hamstring problem.

Terry also missed the midweek Champions League tie against Paris St Germain and although he has been working with the club's medical staff, Sunday's game comes too soon for him.

"I hope next weekend he will be available," said the Dutchman. "I cannot predict it. I think we have to be a bit cautious with him as well."  

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How much attention have you being paying to the goings on in the sporting world this week? Test yourself in this quiz of the week...

BBC Radio 5 Live

Tune in now to hear former Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls rugby league player Jamie Peacock, snooker world champion Stuart Bingham and British gymnast Dan Keatings talk sport with Eleanor Oldroyd.

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England's women have posted a decent total for South Africa to chase in the second Twenty20 international between the sides at Cape Town. Sarah Taylor's 66 (off 52 balls) has helped her side amass 156-6. 

In the first T20 between these two on Thursday, 147 was enough to give England victory. 

If you want to keep across the SA chase, you can do so here.

It is quarter-final time at the Welsh Open and Friday's opening match sees Neil Robertson against Ding Junhui.

It is live on BBC Two Wales, the Red Button and online from 13:00 GMT.

You can follow the action here.

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Scotland's Peter Wright has gone two points clear at the top of the 2016 Premier League after beating James Wade 7-4 in Dublin on Thursday night for his third straight win.

There were also victories for Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld.

Phil Wye
BBC Radio 5 live

Off to Cobham to hear from Guus Hiddink at lunchtime, as Chelsea will seek to extend their 12-match unbeaten run in domestic competitions on Sunday at home to Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round.

We'll check up on all the team news, including the current state of John Terry's fitness.

In light of that narrow first-leg defeat by PSG in their Champions League last 16 tie, I wonder whether Blues boss Hiddink will tell us if feels Sunday's clash with City takes on extra significance as Chelsea continue to target silverware in the cups?

Chelsea v Man City is one of six FA Cup match commentaries on BBC 5 Live this weekend

BBC Radio 5 Live

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Darren Campbell looks ahead to the Olympics in Rio. 

He asks if golf should be in the Games, whether long-jumper Markus Rehm - who has a prosthetic leg - should be able to compete in Brazil. And we hear from American athlete Suzy Favor Hamilton, who went from being a medal hope to Las Vegas escort.