ALAN Pardew reckons Cherries boss Eddie Howe's emergence in management is "essential" for English football.

Howe, much like Pardew 10 seasons ago when he was progressing with West Ham, is widely considered one of England's most promising young managers.

He has inspired them from near-financial ruin to a Premier League in which only four of 20 managers are English.

Asked for his thoughts on Howe ahead of tonight's showdown at Selhurst Park (8pm), Pardew said: "I tried to sign him when I was at West Ham and I've bumped into him on the road, he's always at games.

"These people don't become successful by staying at home in their mansions, assuming their careers will make them good managers.

"You've got to get out on the road and understand how teams work, how players play, how to get a bargain, and Eddie's done that.

"He's a hard worker. He's dilligent, and more importantly he's intelligent. There's no point putting all that hard work in if you're not intellligent enough to use it.

"He's a good, young English coach and I'm always up for promoting that.

"He was an intelligent footballer. He wasn't the biggest, he wasn't the quickest but he made up for that in his positional play and his thinking.

"These top jobs keep going to foreign managers who I've never even heard of. It is a world market, I get that, and some of the managers – (Quique Sanchez) Flores at Watford, for example – have real pedigree and deserve a shot at the Premier League.

"But there are some jobs, particularly in the Championship, that astound me."

Despite concerns that an ankle injury suffered by Yohan Cabaye in Saturday's 1-0 FA Cup defeat of Stoke could lead to him being unavailable for a lengthy period, the midfielder faces a late fitness test.

Joe Ledley is unavailable owing to a knock, further limiting Palace's options at a time when Yannick Bolasie, Dwight Gayle and Bakary Sako remain long-term absentees. Connor Wickham is suspended.