Roy: More to Palace than Zaha
ROY HODGSON has insisted Crystal Palace are not a oneman team before Wilf Zaha takes on Chelsea tomorrow.
The Ivory Coast winger, 26, has not scored since September and the Eagles won a match without him for the first time in over two years against Leicester a fortnight ago.
Andros Townsend also netted a wonder goal in the recent shock win at Manchester City.
But like Eden Hazard, Zaha remains the talisman for a team which is on a three-match unbeaten streak before seeking to topple Chelsea for the fourth season in a row.
Boss Hodgson said: “Any accusation to a manager of a team, or a player in the team, that you are a one-man team would be very unwillingly accepted.
“If you’re asking if I think Chelsea are a one-man team, I don’t, or if Palace are a one-man team, then I don’t.
“Do these teams have very good players capable of turning a game and making the game a successful one for them? Then I’m pretty sure Sarri and myself would be happy to say yes. Hazard and Wilf come into that category.”
Hazard has still to commit his longterm future to Chelsea and Zaha would be a potential replacement if the Belgian moves in the summer.
The ex-Manchester United winger, who is under contract until 2023, has been linked with a mega-money move to the Chinese Super League but Hodgson admitted he would be more concerned by solid interest from a top English or European club.
“I would if that club had been in contact, yes,” said the ex-England boss.
“For me a transfer will occur when the two clubs are in agreement and the player is in agreement. No-one at the club knows anything at all about this (Chinese) story.
“We don’t want any transfer money but I suppose there comes a level which players do get transferred even when the clubs don’t want to sell.
“Until the day that situation arises, and we are working hard to prevent that because we don’t want the money we want the player, and then he tells us I’m turning my back on Premier League football and going to China instead, then I’ll take it seriously.”