Crystal Palace striker crisis: Christian Benteke injury forces basement boys to turn to unknown Freddie Ladapo or send SOS call for Rickie Lambert, Giuseppe Rossi or David N'Gog

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You may or may not have heard of Freddie Ladapo – the 24-year-old who has yet to appear in the Premier League and was playing for non-League Margate last year.

Now, he is Crystal Palace's only fit centre forward following the knee injury to Christian Benteke which will keep the Belgian out for six weeks.

Palace are looking at free agents in their desperation but a debut could follow for Ladapo against Manchester United away this weekend.

Crystal Palace could be forced to turn to the unheralded Freddie Ladapo up front after Christian Benteke (right) was ruled out for six weeks leaving them with no proven strikers

Searching for their first Premier League goal of the season, Palace are scratching their heads and wondering how they got themselves into such a perilous position.

They failed in signing a striker in the summer and owner Steve Parish said in an interview with Holmesdale Radio last week: 'I would personally not have let Fraizer Campbell go and that is something I wish I had overruled on.'

He didn't and now they are left in limbo with Ladapo, who was no Palace academy product.

It was in March 2016 when he joined after scoring a hat-trick in an Under-21 match against Watford while on trial from Margate.

He took his chance then and could see this as his big break – an opportunity to show Roy Hodgson and Palace's supporters what he can do.

First, he will have to impress on the training field at their Beckenham base. Then, he will have to hope he gets the nod and can make a difference on match day.

It is unlikely this will go down as some sort of fairytale, however.

Ladapo battles with Liverpool's Marko Grujic during a pre-season match in July

A brief look at Ladapo's history shows he has had some success in Non-League but struggled when higher up the ladder.

He was deadly in the Isthmian League Premier Division. In 26 games for Grays Athletic, he got 14 goals. In 19 for Margate, he got 13.

Yet last season he struggled when sent on loan to League One. With Oldham Athletic, he scored just two goals in 17 games. With Shrewsbury Town, he got four in 15.

Now, he could be tasked with trying to get the better of the likes of Eric Bailly, should he be surprisingly thrown immediately into the mix at Old Trafford.

Ladapo may be in the scoring mood. He got a goal for the Under 23s against Bristol City last week and two the week before against Leeds United. The Premier League, though, is unforgiving.

As for the free agents, Palace's staff are working hard behind the scenes. Hodgson, with Parish and sporting director Dougie Freedman, is trying to identify someone who could do a job for them up front.

Fitness is one of the categories they have to consider and they will be asking whether any of those players currently unattached can compete in the physical Premier League for 90 minutes.

Among those is former Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert, with Parish an apparent admirer. Lambert's last gig was with Cardiff City, where he had his contract cancelled in July.

There is also Giuseppe Rossi, the 30-year-old who has not had a club since leaving Fiorentina in the summer. Others include David N'Gog, Dani Osvaldo, Marouane Chamakh and Claudio Pizarro.

Rickie Lambert is among the strikers who Palace could bring in as emergency cover

Former Manchester United front man Giuseppe Rossi is another striker currently unattached

It is an SOS call from Palace.

This week saw them finally get a win – in a behind-closed-doors friendly against non-League Bromley. They won 2-1.

Still, though, it is Manchester United and Chelsea in the Premier League next, and it is possible they will end up eight games in with zero points or goals to their name.

Palace are desperate to get a deal done for a striker – anyone who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. For now, though, they have Ladapo.