This is a chance for the players Sam Allardyce does not know much about to show him what they can do. If they impress him in this tie against one of his former clubs, they will come into his thinking for the Premier League matches to come.
Sam did great work at Bolton from 1999-2007 but I cannot believe this match will be particularly important to him. Yes, Palace reached the Cup Final last season, but it would be a major surprise if they managed to get to that stage for the second year running.
After this game, Palace have League matches against West Ham, Everton and Bournemouth. Those will already be at the forefront of Sam’s mind.