Alex Howell
BBC Sport reporter

He's on the bench today but Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze spoke to BBC Sport earlier this month and puts his rise to the Premier League down to one thing - 'the cage'.

It was the first place he and many of his friends went after school, as they grew up in Greenwich. The cages are the small enclosed football pitches in south London that have helped develop many top talents - Jadon Sancho, Wilfried Zaha and Callum Hudson-Odoi among them.

Eze learned to be tough, physically and mentally, and to be skilful. Those qualities served him well as he continued to push for a football career after being released by Arsenal, Reading, Fulham and Millwall.

Read more on Eze's rise here.

Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has said he will make "six or seven changes", with Callum Hudson-Odoi set to make just a second Premier League start of the season.

Hakim Ziyech is back in contention following a thigh injury.

Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings is suspended as a result of his sending off against Crystal Palace.

Loanee Ross Barkley is ineligible to face his parent club, while Trezeguet remains out.

Duncan Alexander
Opta

Image source, Opta

Earlier this month the great and the very good of world football were honoured at the Best Fifa Awards.

Even in a year as unpredictable as 2020, the usual names were in the all-star XI, with Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski the pick of the bunch.

But this year will not be remembered for normality and predictability, so let's unearth and celebrate the lesser figures who lit up football in 2020...

Check out our European football's alternative 2020 awards.

Pleased to see Caglar Soyuncu back in the squad Leicester fans?

He's not featured in the Premier League since 4 October due to injury.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, .

Roy Hodgson makes five changes to the Crystal Palace side that lost 3-0 at Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

Nathaniel Clyne, James Tomkins, Jairo Riedewald, Andros Townsend and Tyrick Mitchell are all recalled, with Joel Ward, Patrick van Aanholt, James McArthur and Eberechi Eze dropping to the bench.

Scott Dann misses out altogether, while former Leicester midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp makes his 100th Premier League appearance for Palace.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Clyne, Kouyate, Tomkins, Mitchell, Schlupp, Milivojevic, Riedewald, Townsend, Zaha, Benteke

Image source, .

Brendan Rodgers makes seven changes to the Leicester City team that drew 2-2 with Manchester United.

Luke Thomas, Daniel Armartey, Kelechi Iheanacho, Hamza Choudhury, Nampalys Mendy, Dennis Praet and Ayoze Perez all come into the side, with Jamie Vardy only on the bench.

Defender Caglar Soyuncu is also among the substitutes after recovering from a groin injury.

Leicester XI: Schmeichel, Justin, Armartey, Evans, Thomas, Choudhury, Mendy, Perez, Praet, Barnes, Iheanacho

Three games all nicely spread out.

Crystal Palace v Leicester City (15:00 GMT)

Chelsea v Aston Villa (17:30)

Everton v Manchester City (20:00)

Good afternoon!

The Premier League keeps rolling on and we have another three games to keep us busy today.

Will we see a 6-4-0 formation? Will we have a Jamie Vardy party? Will Everton join their friends Liverpool on the same number of points at the top?

Who knows? Here's what's coming up...

Image source, Getty Images