---
title: "Crystal Palace: Dan Cook hints at worrying previous Wilfried Zaha injury"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/crystal-palace-wilfried-zaha-cpfc-latest-news/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Aaron Hindhaugh"
section: "Crystal Palace News"
published: "2023-01-30T15:15:44Z"
modified: "2023-01-30T16:08:50Z"
---

# Crystal Palace: Dan Cook hints at worrying previous Wilfried Zaha injury

**Podcaster Dan Cook believes that [Crystal Palace](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/crystal-palace-news/) ace [Wilfried Zaha](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/tag/wilfried-zaha/) was already carrying an injury prior to his newfound hamstring problem.**

### The Lowdown: A huge blow for Patrick Vieira

When [Zaha hobbled off](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/21122079/wilfried-zaha-hamstring-injury-crystal-palace-newcastle/) two weeks ago, Patrick Vieira’s heart will have surely sunk as his talisman and [top scorer this season](https://fbref.com/en/squads/47c64c55/Crystal-Palace-Stats#all_stats_standard) looked set for some time on the sidelines.

His worst fears appear to have come true, with [Zaha reportedly now set for a huge stint away from the first team](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11689135/Wilfried-Zaha-set-six-weeks-hamstring-injury.html) and spend around six weeks in the injury room, which is a major blow to Palace’s season.

Zaha has been [Palace’s top scorer for each of the last two seasons](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/crystal-palace/toptorschuetzensaison/verein/873) and looked on course to repeat that feat this time around with six goals already to his name – but it’s not without his body going through a lot of pain, it would seem.

### The Latest: Zaha potentially injured for a while

Cook has insisted on the [HLTCO podcast](https://www.patreon.com/posts/hltco-palace-30-77943146) that this hamstring injury was just the tip of the iceberg for Zaha and what his body has been going through in recent times.

He said: “Of course, he was taken off in the closing stages of our game against Newcastle the other day with what looked like a pretty severe hamstring pull.

“I don’t think he’s necessarily torn it, but as far as I was aware, Wilf has been carrying a bit of a knock on his knee for a little while and I think maybe it’s just the wear and tear on his body at 30 years old now has weighed too heavily and he will have to have a period out of the first team.”

### The Verdict: Palace must learn to live without Zaha

While it’s far from ideal for Palace to have lost their best player for a prolonged period of time, it could well benefit them in the long term as they will have to get used to playing and winning without Zaha.

This is because [Zaha has turned down any proposals of a new contract](https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/crystal-palace/wilfried-zaha-crystal-palace-chelsea-arsenal-and-transfer-3839308) at Selhurst Park and is poised to leave in the summer as a free agent to try one more time to take his career up a level before he misses his chance.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”411069″\]

If Palace can perform and pick up some positive results without Zaha, it could give Vieira a lot of confidence for next season when a lot of the pressure will be put onto players such as Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze to be the difference for the Eagles if Zaha leaves, as he’s been ‘[outstanding](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11330035/Pundits-heap-praise-Crystal-Palace-star-Wilfried-Zaha-comeback-against-Wolves.html)‘ for Palace in big games, as Ally McCoist pointed out when they beat Wolves.