Crystal Palace boost with Wilfried Zaha injury not as bad as feared and faces six weeks out
Eagles flier feared he would be out for the season but might miss just five games in the fight for Premier League survival
CRYSTAL PALACE'S survival hopes have been boosted as Wilfried Zaha faces just six weeks out with the knee injury he feared would end his season.
Scans yesterday revealed the Eagles' main attacker sprained ligaments in Sunday's 1-1 home draw with fellow strugglers Newcastle.
report that the Ivory Coast winger could now miss just five Premier League games and return at home to Liverpool on March 31.
The 25-year-old might be relieved with such a prognosis as a knee problem kept him out for a full two months at the start of the term.
Palace boss Roy Hodgson has earmarked in-form Zaha as one of the key factors for avoiding relegation.
The former Manchester United flop was linked with clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea in the January transfer window.
And Hodgson said earlier this term: "I would expect one day that if Wilf continues as he is doing at the moment, then the club will be faced with a situation where someone wants to put a lot of money on the table in order to prise him away.
“That will be a massive decision for the club because I know how much Crystal Palace fans and owners appreciate him and he is the last person we want to lose."
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The Eagles sit 14th, four places and three points above the drop zone, with Zaha bagging four of their meagre haul of 24 goals in 26 games.
Serbia midfielder Luka Milivojevic is top-scoring on six, compared to just two from Christian Benteke, who should be the focal point of Palace's attack.
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Hodgson's only transfer-window recruit was little-known Norway frontman Alexander Sørloth, a £9 million arrival from Danes Midtjylland.
So the return of Zaha next month - after some had worried he might not be fit again until next season - is a massive lift for the Eagles.
Their next clash is at Everton in the Prem on February 10.
