Zaha pencils in Crystal Palace return for Chelsea match

Wilfried Zaha has revealed he is targeting a return to first-team action against Chelsea after the international break.

The Ivory Coast international has not featured for Palace since the opening weekend after suffering a knee injury in their 3-0 defeat at home to Huddersfield.

Palace have sorely missed Zaha’s threat in attack and the 24-year-old is working towards making his comeback in Palace’s first match after the international break on October 14.

“It’s going well, I’m getting stronger,” Zaha told talkSPORT. “Hopefully I’ll be back soon. I’m trying to be back soon for the Chelsea game.

“It’s hard to watch as obviously I want to help the team going through this hard patch. That’s why I’m working so hard at the gym to help the team as soon as possible.”

Palace have lost all five of their opening league matches this season and are yet to score a single goal, which is a record in the Premier League. 

Since the start of last season, only Eden Hazard has completed as many dribbles as Zaha in the Premier League (both 146).