Gianfranco Zola has selected the starting XI that he hopes will lead Watford back to the Premier League this afternoon at Wembley Stadium and it contains few surprises.

The Hornets boss had a few selection decisions to mull over in the fortnight following the astonishing semi-final victory over Leicester City and ultimately he has decided on two changes from the team that started the second leg to face Crystal Palace.

Jonathan Hogg returns to the midfield engine room in place of Cristian Battocchio, while Daniel Pudil gets the nod over Matthew Briggs in the left wing-back slot.

With Fitz Hall fit again, Zola had to decide whether to alter his central defensive three but he has opted to leave well alone in that department, and so Lloyd Doyley, Joel Ekstrand and Marco Cassetti retain their positions at the back.

Palace secured their place at Wembley with a 2-0 aggregate win over Brighton & Hove Albion and Ian Holloway has gone with the same team that started the second leg.

With top scorer Glenn Murray injured, it means Aaron Wilbraham starts in a lone attacking role and the dangerous Wilfried Zaha will provide support from a floating role behind the forward.

Crystal Palace: Speroni; Ward, Gabbidon, Delaney, Moxey; Jedinak, Dikagcoi, Garvan, Williams; Zaha; Wilbraham. Substitutes: Price, Richards, Ramage, Bolasie, Phillips, O’Keefe, Moritz.

Watford: Almunia; Doyley, Ekstrand, Cassetti; Anya, Chalobah, Hogg, Abdi, Pudil; Deeney, Vydra. Substitutes: Bond, Hall, Briggs, Yeates, Battocchio, Geijo, Forestieri.

Referee: Martin Atkinson.