Roy Hodgson says Crystal Palace not winning without Wilfried Zaha since 2016 must be rectified
Friday 9 February 2018 13:01, UK
Roy Hodgson says Crystal Palace must prove they are not a one-man team following the injury to star player Wilfried Zaha
The Eagles head to Everton on Saturday without winger Zaha, who faces around a month on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Palace have not won a match without Zaha since September 2016, but Hodgson insists the absence of their talisman will not affect the rest of the squad's mentality.
"It won't because we don't look at those kind of statistics," he said.
"Sometimes I'm amused by them, sometimes surprised, in this case dismayed.
"But it makes no difference. We go into each game believing we have the capability of winning it.
"It's an anomaly, that's for sure. But let's make certain in the next period that we put that statistic to bed."
Zaha is one of nine senior players on an injury list Hodgson admits is one of the worst he has experienced in his long career.
Julian Speroni, Martin Kelly, Bakary Sako, Jeffrey Schlupp, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Scott Dann, Jason Puncheon and Connor Wickham are all on the sidelines.
"It's crucial to get Wilf back," added Hodgson.
"It's been made extra crucial by the serious injury to Bakary Sako, who is out for the rest of the season.
"We lost Sako one day before the transfer deadline, a similar player to Wilf. And then we lose Wilf, and our goalkeeper Julian Speroni, after the Newcastle game.
"This is a very serious injury crisis we're suffering from. Quite frankly, I can't remember having this many injured at my previous clubs."
Speroni's injury means Hodgson is looking at the free agent market for a goalkeeper, rather than cover further forward.
"We have got to have two goalkeepers," he said.
"I can't go into a Premier League game with one goalkeeper, and an outfield player on the bench. I have to have two goalkeepers."
January signings Alexander Sorloth and Erdal Rakip will be in the squad which travels to Goodison Park.
