Crystal Palace will once again be without Wilfried Zaha for this afternoon’s trip to Brentford, Matt Woosnam reports.
The Lowdown: Hope earlier in the week
Zaha has missed Palace’s last two Premier League games with a hamstring injury but was pictured back out on the grass earlier in the week.
The Evening Standard’s Dom Smith described it as a key boost and said the forward could be in contention to return this weekend. However, it looks as if that won’t be the case, which is a blow for the Eagles.
The Latest: Woosnam’s post
Woosnam took to Twitter to share news from Patrick Vieira’s pre-Brentford press conference on Friday.
He relayed the update on Zaha, claiming he will be unavailable against Thomas Frank’s side, with Ben Dinnery adding that Vieira has suggested he could still be a couple of weeks away.
The Verdict: Bad news
The Eagles are still without a Premier League win in 2023, so knowing that Zaha is out of action for a little longer isn’t ideal. Described as ‘absolutely outstanding’ by Ally McCoist, Zaha has scored more goals than any Palace player and has been key in the final third by also topping the dribbling charts at Selhurst Park, as per WhoScored.
Jeffrey Schlupp has filled in for Zaha on the left-hand side, scoring his first goal of the season against Manchester United, so Vieira could once again turn to the versatile Ghanaian with his star forward still out.