Christian Benteke returns to action this weekend with point to prove at Crystal Palace

Palace manager Roy Hodgson has said there is no risk in playing the forward against Everton this weekend after an extended injury absence

Christian Benteke is set to feature against Everton this weekend (Getty)

For Crystal Palace, the road to survival won’t be easy but they must start paving it with victories now and they have received a significant boost to their chances with Christian Benteke’s return from injury.

The Belgian forward was hardly in form to start the season, but as the transfer window closed and Palace’s squad boasted just one fit striker, Benteke was always going to prove crucial to his side’s chances of recovering from a poor start under Frank de Boer.

Now he returns to action against Everton this weekend after an extended injury absence and under the orders of a different coach, Roy Hodgson, under whom the Eagles must hope that the fit-again striker can provide the goals to help fire Palace out of the drop zone.

"Christian Benteke has trained all week, which is very positive,” said Hodgson ahead of the striker’s return to first-team action this weekend.

"I don't think it's just the weekend [that he will play a big part], we're hoping he can pay a big part going forward for us. Don't forget he hasn't played for seven weeks, it's good that he's physically fit to play.

"I don't think it will be a risk playing him, he's had three good training sessions this week, four after tomorrow and he worked very hard before he joined us to make sure he was 100 per cent certain, so I don't have any fears for him."

In theory, managerless Everton are a good team for the south Londoners to be playing at a time when they desperately need Premier League points. Indeed, the run of fixtures they are about to embark upon happens to be the easiest in the league and the feeling is that if this club is to retain its Premier League status then they will need to win a chunk of their points over the next six weeks or so.

Hodgson, though, was reluctant to attach special importance to the upcoming run of fixtures knowing that nearly every game is a must-win for a side that started with seven consecutive defeats.


 Benteke is ready to return for Palace 
 (Getty)

“Every period is a crucial period. I see the task ahead of us as a week to week, opponent to opponent, task.

“We know that a win would be very good for us and would make life a bit harder for others like us. But wanting that and knowing that doesn't make it so. Our preparation focuses on what we can do to merit victory.”