Wilfried Zaha recovery ahead of schedule but Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson reluctant to put a date on his return

Star man | Zaha has missed Crystal Palace last two Premier League matches
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Giuseppe Muro1 March 2018

Wilfried Zaha remains ahead of schedule in his return from a knee injury but Roy Hodgson has said it will still be some time before Crystal Palace know when the winger will be back.

Zaha has been out for a month with the problem and his absence has been a serious blow to Palace’s hopes of avoiding relegation.

Hodgson said: “He is ahead of schedule. The medical staff are quite surprised at how quickly he has recovered from a serious injury, but it is still a while away before we can be certain that he is going to return earlier than planned.

“At the moment his running is pretty much in straight lines and we have not tested out those difficult things that need testing out for knee ligament injuries like twisting and turning, and contact with other players.”

​Hodgson also confirmed Palace have reached an agreement to sign 35-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri on a free transfer.

Cavalieri will move to Palace on a deal until the end of the season.

Hodgson said: “It is a question of the paperwork. It is moving in the right direction, as far as I know.”

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