Crystal Palace have been handed an enormous enhance after Roy Hodgson appeared to substantiate that Christian Benteke’s harm isn’t too critical, regardless of the Belgian striker being withdraw at halftime towards Sheffield United, the place he was changed by Jordan Ayew.
What’s the information?
When requested about Benteke’s health on the weekend, Hodgson instructed reporters, through soccer.london: “Effectively, we expect Benteke received a kick within the first half, which was clearly regarding him at half-time – a form of useless leg. Usually these useless legs, if you happen to’re fortunate, don’t produce long-term issues.”
Who’s Crystal Palace’s finest striker?
Jordan Ayew
Michy Batshuayi
Christian Benteke
Wilfried Zaha
Palace snapped Benteke up from Liverpool for £27m in a membership report deal on a four-year contract in 2016.
The 30-year-old centre-forward has been in first rate kind this season, scoring three targets in 12 appearances within the Premier League thus far, through Transfermarkt. Given the extent of his harm, it seems he may very well be again in motion in a matter of days.
Probably influence?
In actual fact, we’d even go as far as to say that Benteke has been certainly one of Palace’s finest gamers because the begin of the season.
Palace have been in determined want of some high quality upfront for a while now and the Belgian worldwide has delivered with nice aplomb, bagging a brace towards West Bromwich Albion in his first begin of the marketing campaign.
The Eagles boss reserved particular reward for Benteke after he scored his first targets of the season, saying: “He has been affected person and by no means stopped working. He confirmed the kind of participant he was when Palace purchased him from Liverpool and has now received to maintain that going.”
While the targets have began to dry up, with only one in his previous 5 video games, his influential presence on the high of the pitch can’t be ignored, as he got here near scoring after combining with Ivory Coast ahead Wilfried Zaha within the first half earlier than being changed by Ayew.
It’s value remembering he has nonetheless scored extra targets than Ayew, Michy Batshuayi and Connor Wickham have between them, albeit the latter has spent practically the whole lot of the season thus far on the sidelines.
With an FA Cup tie with Wolves subsequent on the agenda, Benteke merely have to be one of many first names on the staff sheet if he’s totally match and firing on all cylinders.
AND in different information, Overlook Eze: Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell despatched Hodgson a well timed reminder…