Crystal Palace Winger Wilfried Zaha Could Return From Injury at the End of Next Month

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha could make his return from injury in six weeks, the Times have reported.

A scan has revealed that the Ivory Coast international has sprained ligaments in his knee, and should make a comeback by the end of next month.

It had originally been feared that Zaha could be set for a longer spell on the sidelines, with reports of a potential layout of two months.

But Palace have been handed a boost by the news that their standout performer of this season could be fit sooner than expected.

Zaha is likely to miss the Eagles' next five games, however, and could be in contention to play against Liverpool at the end of March.

The 25-year-old picked up the injury during Sunday's 1-1 draw against Newcastle having played the entirety of the game.

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He also missed two months at the beginning of the season with a knee problem which was originally expected to keep him out for only one month.

Zaha's performances in the past couple of months, despite a lack of goals and assists, have been instrumental in helping Palace climb off the bottom of the league.

The Croydon-based outfit still only sit seven points ahead of bottom club West Brom, though, and Zaha's absence could prove problematic in the coming weeks.

Palace face Everton, Spurs, Manchester United and Chelsea in their next four league fixtures and, with clashes against teams in and around them still to come, will be hopeful of the winger's imminent return.