Sakho boost as he avoids serious injury

MAMADOU SAKHO has not suffered a serious injury and has an outside chance of playinging again this season.

Crystal Palace feared the centre-back had badly damaged knee ligaments after r falling awkwardly during the

1-0 defeat by Tottenham on Wednesday night.

However, a scan has revealed that Sakho (right) has only bruised and strained the ligaments.

Palace have four games remaining this season and although Sakho is likely to have to sit them out, there is a slim hope he could play in the final matchmatc of the season, against ManchesterMan United on May 21.

NewsNew that the injury is not seriousserio is a boost for Sakho, who is on loanlo from Liverpool, after a testingtesti 12 months.

SakhoSak was handed a UEFA suspensionsusp after taking fat-burningfatpills at the end of last seaseason and, while he has subsequentlysu been cleared, the banb saw him miss the Europa LeagueL Final for Liverpool and EuroE 2016 for France. He then fell out with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool last summer.

Palace manager Sam Allardyce said: “He was e enjoying his football so much aft after such a period in isolation this season and really making a big influence on the players in the dressing room as well as his performances.”

Sakho has been a colossus at the back for Palace since moving to Selhurst Park in January and Allardyce is desperate to keep him.

But Palace do not have an option to make his loan move permanent and Allardyce has admitted it would take a “big negotiation” to buy him this summer, with clubs in the Premier League and across Europe likely to be interested.

Fellow centre-backs James Tomkins (leg) and Scott Dann (knee) are also out, so Allardyce is likely to select Martin Kelly and Damien Delaney at the heart of his defence against Burnley tomorrow.