Patrick Vieira has called upon his squad to rely on Eberechi Eze to produce consistent performances next season.
Eze has excelled in pre-season, tallying two assists against Montpellier in a final 4-2 victory before The Eagles begin their campaign against Arsenal under a floodlit Selhurst Park on Friday night.
Playing as the main creative output in a 4-3-3 formation throughout recent friendlies, the Englishman has presented Vieira with a glimpse at his very best.
In the 2021-22 season, the midfielder was reduced to limited playing time - with his minutes being carefully mapped out as he returned to match sharpness following a serious Achilles injury on the penultimate day of the 2020-21 campaign.
During his relapse last season, Conor Gallagher's loan did much to fill the void that Palace felt in midfield - with a lack of creativity and drive in the centre of the field being reinvigorated by the presence of the Chelsea youngster.
But now that the ever-present figure in Palace's midfield trio is back at his parent club, Vieira must find a new way to inject a new dimension into his midfield blueprint.
“Conor is not here,” explained Vieira of Gallagher’s presence potentially being missed.
“He’s been fantastic, but you see that Ebs will bring us something different but quality as well.
“I’m really happy with the way he’s been training and what he did in the game today. He will bring us something different but something as good as what Conor gave to us.
“We may have to change one or two things [with the formation], but Ebs is a fantastic player.
“He creates chances and scores goals – things happen with him on the field. We have to rely on him the way we do with Wilfried, Jean-Philippe [Mateta] or Odsonne [Edouard] up front.”
Crystal Palace kick off their competitive season on Friday night, with Arsenal's high-spending squad making the short trip to south London.
The arrival of Cheick Doucoure will hopefully bolster Vieira's midfield but sights will naturally fall on Eberechi Eze as the Englishman's imaginative form will prove vital to The Eagles' successes in the campaign.