Dean Henderson, determined to prove his mettle at Crystal Palace, faces a pivotal clash against former club Man United.

Dean Henderson's arrival at Crystal Palace was met with anticipation, but the circumstances of his debut were unexpected.

Departing from Old Trafford earlier in the summer, the 26-year-old goalkeeper now finds himself poised to make his first appearance for Palace against his former club in the Carabao Cup tonight.

Henderson's transition to Palace came at a price tag of £20 million, yet the coveted No. 1 goalkeeper position has remained elusive, with Sam Johnstone currently occupying the role.

An interesting twist to their shared history lies in the fact that both Johnstone and Henderson emerged from Manchester United's youth system. At one point, Henderson harbored aspirations of supplanting David de Gea as the club's top choice goalkeeper, but that prospect has since receded into the distance, with over two years having passed.

Now, Henderson finds himself engaged in a competitive struggle to secure his spot in the Palace lineup.

As he prepares for a crucial performance at Old Trafford tonight, the desire to impress is palpable, although Manchester United fans will undoubtedly hope their team makes it a challenging evening for Roy Hodgson's side.

Complicating matters for Henderson is the impressive start to the season by his rival, Sam Johnstone. Both goalkeepers harbor ambitions of earning a place in the England squad for the upcoming European Championships next summer, making the competition for the starting role all the more intense.

From the perspective of this writer, there's a genuine expectation that Dean Henderson will have his work cut out for him, with the hope that he spends the night retrieving the ball from the back of the net.

Crystal Palace Predicted Line-Up: Henderson; Clyne, Richards, Guehi, Mitchell; Riedewald, Hughes; Rak-Sakyi, Eze, Schlupp; Mateta.