Crouch believes a victory over Arsenal can help them as they look to break itno the top four.
“This is probably the best opportunity we’ve had of breaking into the top four,” Crouch told the London Evening Standard.
“If you speak to anyone about the top four, we’re always mentioned – and we deserve to be.
“Manchester United and Chelsea look the teams to beat this year – and clubs like Spurs, Aston Villa and Manchester City look very close to challenging and catching Arsenal and Liverpool.
“It would be a big blow to strike if we could beat them. They’ve always been finishing above us. But our squad is closer than ever to them, and we’re certainly pushing them very hard.”
He continued: “If Aaron is out, David Bentley – who is an England international – can step in, while Niko Kranjcar is there to replace Luka.”
“We will miss those players. Jermain and Luka are two world-class players, but we have a lot of quality to replace them.”
