Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has backed Wilfried Zaha to put the transfer saga of the summer behind him to shine in his first start for the Eagles this season.
The Ivory Coast international came off the bench in last weekend's goalless draw with Everton, a side who chased his services during the transfer window, and is back in the starting line-up for Sunday's clash with Sheffield United.
It is unlikely to be the last we hear of Zaha and a transfer though, as he made his intentions to move to a bigger club clear during the summer, but Hodgson is optimistic that he will be ready for today's match.
“He’s trained well, of course he’s got more training sessions behind him since coming back from the African Cup of Nations, so I hope he’s going to be ready for the game today,” he told Sky Sports.
Hodgson also discussed the challenges of playing against the Blades, who were welcoming Premier League football back to Bramall Lane for the first time in 12 years.
“We’ve got to try and keep our composure, make sure we match their heart, aggression and determination, but at the same time we’ve got to try and keep a cool head while doing so.
“I think we should never complain about the atmosphere at football matches, we’re in football to have these types of atmospheres. Many congratulations to Sheffield United for getting themselves in that position to be a buoyant team today. If we want to stay in the Premier League, we’ll have to make sure we deal with it.”
