With last month seeing Palace's return to the Premier League in full swing and the Eagles first Europa League match, it is already time to look forward to the intense fixtures of October which we will preview in two parts. 

The first week of October sees no competitive fixtures for Palace but instead many international players in action. Nine Eagles face fixtures in October, with others returning from international duty.  

To fill the three week long break Palace have announced a friendly with Championship side Bristol City taking place on Saturday 3, with tickets free for children. This match will see a Palace loanee return to Selhurst, with Rio Cardines on incredible form during his loan at Bristol City. 

Holding a friendly is an important chance for Pierre Sage's side to prepare for the tough run of fixtures that follow, and an opportunity for some squad rotation while others are still on international duty.

Premier League football returns to Selhurst Park on the 11 October as Oliver Glasner makes his first visit to South London in charge of Nottingham Forest. Last season the home fixture between these two saw a very tense atmosphere with the iconic banner against Forest's owner being unveiled by the Holmesdale Fanatics.

Palace have not beaten Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, with their last victory coming in the Championship in 2011. The last five meetings between the two have seen 4 1-1 draws and a 1-0 victory to Forest. 

Forest have not started the season off incredibly well, as they sit 13th in the League on 5 points, they also missed out on qualifying for Europe this season. If last season's managerial turnover at Forest taught us anything it's that Glasner's time at Forest may be under threat if they do not start producing better results soon.

This is a big match for Palace, with fans likely to produce a hostile atmosphere. The game kicks-off at 2pm and is available on Sky Sports. 

If Nottingham Forest's visit to South London was not enough for Palace fans to be reminded of last summer's UEFA ruling then travelling to Lyon certainly will be. Palace will face the club they were formally linked to under John Textor, with some resentment lingering over the decision to allow Lyon to compete over Palace. 

Lyon are in strong form at the moment, sitting second in Ligue 1 unbeaten in their first five games. They won their first Europa match with a 2-1 victory over Anderlecht. 

Pierre Sage will be hoping for a strong result in this game, with him having the experience of facing Lyon during his time in the French league last season. 

The game takes place on Thursday 15 October at 17:45pm and will be available to watch on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max. 

To round-off the tense matches Palace face on their return from international break Palace will then travel down to the South Coast to Amex for their tense clash against Brighton. This rivalry has become iconic since both teams have become competitive in the Premier League.

The fixture has seen some truly iconic matches and results at the Amex, with the Eagles landing a 1-0 victory in the fixture last year credit to Ismaila Sarr. In the last ten meetings between the two sides Palace have won three games, Brighton two and five draws. 

Palace fans may be fearful of this fixture since Brighton have started the season on incredible form. They sit third in the table after three wins, one loss and a draw, including a 3-0 victory over Arsenal. 

The game will take place on Sunday 18 October at 2:00pm and is available to watch on Sky Sports.