NEIL Warnock will be using tomorrow's FA Cup game at Watford to take a closer look at Crystal Palace's young players.

The Eagles have propelled themselves to the brink of the play-offs on the back of an unbeaten in 13 Championship games.

Ironically, Palace's last defeat came at the hands of Watford in late October when Aidy Boothroyd's side came away from Selhurst Park as 2-0 victors shortly after Warnock assumed control.

Lee Hills, Sean Scannell, Ryan Hall and 15-year-old John Bostock are all expected to feature at Vicarage Road and Warnock is challenging them to impress with the transfer window now open.

He said: "It is an opportunity. Probably Watford are not one of the teams we would have wanted with the kids, but having said that, it is going to tell you a few answers isn't it?

"You are not going to get a tougher examination fitness wise than against a team like Watford, so the young lads will come through and we will see how they cope."

Palace's primary goal remains promotion to the Premiership and Warnock conceded the FA Cup is something of a distraction for his high-flying side.

He said: "Yes I would say so, but if it was Man United away then it probably wouldn't be.

"We would probably be looking forward to it, and that is no disrespect to Watford, but it does not really whet the appetite, does it?"

The manager also revealed his young squad could well end up being asked to continue their impressive run until May after discovering his intended transfer targets may not necessarily be available.

Warnock explained: "We may have to go with the kids until the rest of the season because I look around and I don't see reasonable prices for anybody better than Scannell, Hills or the other lads. We might not bring in as many as I first thought.

"I will be making offers for two or three players, but I am not optimistic if I am being honest because I think in January teams tend to want more money for players.

"It's usually because teams are desperate for players at this stage of the season, but we are not desperate.

"We are in a decent position in the league, so unless it is a player who I think will benefit us for years to come, then we will stay put with what we have got."