Crystal Palace squad getting stronger after goalless start to the new season, claims Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson is confident he now has a squad ready to solve Crystal Palace's problems in front of goal with key figures returning to fitness.

The Eagles are yet to score this season ahead of their trip to Manchester United, but Wilfried Zaha, who only had a week's worth of pre-season, and Jeffrey Schlupp, injured in a friendly last month, are now nearing full fitness once more.

Palace remain without defensive duo Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins, the former yet to return to first-team training, but Saturday could bring a debut for Gary Cahill as Hodgson looks for a reaction to last weekend's defeat at Sheffield United.

“The early weeks of the season we haven’t had the team we can suddenly use now," Hodgson said.

"Schlupp has hardly played. Wilf has not been with us, [Cheikhou] Kouyate has not been with us. Connor Wickham is getting stronger by the day.

"A lot of these factors that are working in our favour and I think will make us stronger, but there is no magic wand.

"We work as hard on our patterns and movements in the attacking side of the game as we do in the defensive part of it."