Zaha to have fitness assessed ahead of Everton clash
Palace star Wilfried Zaha is to have a fitness test ahead of the clash with Everton after he picked up a knock on international duty.
The forward picked up the injury whilst on international duty with the Ivory Coast, with Zaha withdrawing from the squad early before their clash with the Central African Republic.
Roy Hodgson confirmed that Zaha had suffered a strain, but denied that the injury was long term.
The Palace boss confirmed that Zaha could play some action against the Toffees this weekend, subject to some medical assessments before the clash at Goodison Park.
Hodgson said, via Sky Sports:
I don’t know where information that this was a two-month injury came from, we’ve never been mindful it would take a long time.
It’s a strain that players get on a regular basis, some recover quicker than others and we’re fortunate he is a quicker than normal ‘recoverer’ but it will depend on the extent on the injury whether one week is a possibility in terms of recovery.
It’s good news that he’s close enough to be assessed, to see if he is fit enough to play.
But you’re taking me into areas of sport science I don’t feel comfortable talking about. My information is he hasn’t trained with us since the injury, but they’re hoping he might be able to train tomorrow.
Zaha being fit would be a huge boost for Palace, who normally struggle to pick up results without their star man.