Shipperley out for Palace
Crystal Palace will be without Neil Shipperley for the first five weeks of the season.
The striker, who scored the winner in the play-off final last May, is suffering with a knee injury.
Shipperley said: "I had a stark choice. Rest now and be out for about five weeks or have the surgery and say goodbye to the season - and that would have been soul destroying."
Manager Iain Dowie, in the hunt for new players, is being linked with a loan move for Birmingham midfielder Aliou Cisse.
New signing Joonas Kolkka, who scored in Wednesday's 1-0 friendly win over Sporting Lisbon, is expected to keep his place for tomorrow's clash with Queens Park Rangers.
