Wilfried Zaha has left the Ivory Coast squad and returned to Crystal Palace in order to avoid serious injury, reports the London Evening Standard.
The 25-year-old picked up an unspecified injury during Palace’s 2-0 win over Huddersfield last weekend and will not be risked by his national team.
Zaha has only just returned from a second knee injury of the season and keeping him fit for the remainder of the season could prove the difference between relegation and staying up in the Premier League for Palace.
The Palace No.11 has been integral to their hopes of beating the drop this season and another injury between now and the end of the campaign would be a disaster for Roy Hodgson’s side.
Not least because Palace have lost all 10 Premier League matches Zaha has missed this season. Zaha has only scored four league goals this season but his importance to Palace cannot be emphasised enough.
