Crystal Palace have been dealt a major blow as talismanic forward Wilfried Zaha will be sidelined for around six weeks with a hamstring injury, according to reports.
The Ivorian limped out of action as his side held Newcastle to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park in the Premier League, with Zaha having to be replaced by Jean Philippe Mateta just after the hour mark amid fears over a serious injury.
“When Wilfried comes off from injuries, it can only be not good news because he always wants to carry on and stay on the field,” Eagles boss Patrick Vieira said in the immediate aftermath.
And the attacker is now expected to sidelined until March with the injury, which will see him miss a trip to Old Trafford to face his former side, as well as the derby against high-flying Brighton and Hove Albion a week later. He is also expected to be sidelined for clashes with Brentford, Liverpool and Aston Villa in a tough fixture period for his side.
He could, however, return for the home clash with reigning Champions Manchester City on March 11th.
It will leave Palace looking anxiously over their shoulder at the relegation zone, with Zaha currently top of the goalscoring charts for the Eagles with six, while he has also contributed three assists.
Fortunately, the Ivorian should return in time for crunch clashes with the likes of West Ham, Leicester City and Bournemouth, all of whom sit below them.
