Alan Pardew has insisted he will not select a weakened team for Crystal Palace’s Premier League game at Manchester United on Wednesday night, despite the club’s focus being very much fixed upon a first FA Cup semi-final in 21 years this weekend.

Palace play Watford at Wembley on Sunday and, with the game at Old Trafford a fourth in 12 days, they have lost a quartet of first-teamers to knocks sustained in the draw at Arsenal. The team’s scorer that day, Yannick Bolasie, will join Scott Dann, Joe Ledley and Joel Ward in missing the midweek match but, while all four should be fit for the FA Cup tie, Pardew has stressed the priority is to maintain recent momentum rather than rest weary limbs.

While Palace are almost safe from relegation – the manager actually suggested there is still some work to be done – United, fellow FA Cup semi-finalists, are attempting to catch Arsenal and Manchester City and claim a top-four place. “I don’t think anyone will look at our side and worry about us putting an under-strength team out when they see the team-sheet,” said Pardew. “We need to be strong and keep focus, so I am not going to change my team completely. I don’t believe in that.

“It’s been a long time since we have had much momentum, and I think that is more important than rest. So I want to keep the momentum of this team, certainly until the end of the season. We’ve had Norwich, Everton and Arsenal so it has been a really tough run for us so I will freshen it up. So there’ll be one or two changes because I will definitely need to increase the energy, and we have got one or two problems.

“Yala has got an issue, Ward will definitely miss the game and Scott Dann is struggling with the injury he picked up at Arsenal. Joe Ledley has also got a knock, so we have got a few problems. They should all be OK for Sunday but they are not going to make Manchester United, those guys.”

Returning to the Palace squad is James McArthur – the only FA Cup winner in the squad, with Wigan in 2013 – who has recovered quicker than expected from ankle ligament damage sustained in the home defeat to Bournemouth in early February. “He has been a real miss for us: his energy, his experience, his quality,” added Pardew.

“It is really good news for us for the four remaining games. If he can come through tomorrow’s game, which I think he can, we’ll see if he can be involved on Sunday.”