Palace can challenge for a Champions League place - Pardew

Alan Pardew feels Crystal Palace are on the fringes of being
able to challenge for a Champions League place this season
along with eight other teams.

Palace are sixth in the Premier League following Monday's 1-1
draw at Everton, with Pardew's men on course to improve on
the finishes of 10th and 11th in the last two seasons.

Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger suggested on Friday that as
many as eight teams could challenge for top honours in an
unpredictable campaign that sees Leicester City as surprise
leaders.

And Pardew said: "Wenger's right, there are eight teams who
could make the Champions League. We're probably on the
fringes, the ninth team.

"It's a very tough league. It's been a fantastic 2015 for us and
we need to match this year next year. If we do, we could end up
in the top six.

"We're a long way from there. We'll start talking about that in
March if we're close."

Ahead of Pardew's first full season at Selhurst Park, the arrival
of France international Yohan Cabaye from Paris Saint-Germain
for a club-record fee raised eyebrows.

Having integrated Cabaye into an attacking squad that includes
lower-league finds such as Yannick Bolasie, Dwight Gayle and
Jason Puncheon, Pardew added: "We're not going to forget our
roots.

"Our roots are not signing players from PSG, some of our best
players have come from non-League.

"Ian Wright, non-League player. Andy Gray, non-League player.
Alan Pardew, non-League player. He wasn't as good as the first
two!"

Pardew will be without Mile Jedinak (ankle) and Bakary Sako
(hamstring) for Saturday's visit of Southampton.
"Alex McCarthy is returning [to fitness].

He'll be on the bench
tomorrow, Julian Speroni will be next week," he added.

"Mile rolled his ankle in training and will miss this game. Gayle
has had a set back with his injury, but [Marouane] Chamakh is
getting sharper."