Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis has been deliberating overloading the players in an effort to get them to the peak of fitness ahead of the new Premier League season.

The Eagles kicked off their 10-day tour of the US last night with a 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew of the MLS - where Glenn Murray bagged his third goal in two friendly encounters, and Jake Gray grabbed his second in two.

But, very much like the 13-1 thumping of GAK Graz in Austria last week, Pulis said the result counts for nothing, it is all about fitness.

He told cpfc.co.uk: "The result is not what we’re after. What we’re after really is players getting fit. The results business starts at the Emirates in a few weeks’ time.

"The important thing is we get the players through the games, the players get game time and their fitness improves.

"They’ve worked hard. What people don’t understand is that we’ve overloaded them. They are very tired coming into this game because of the work they’ve done before it.

"For the next week or two, we will overload them, so they will be playing at times a little bit tired. But that will get them fitter for when the season starts.”