Wilfried Zaha can be Crystal Palace's saviour, claims Roy Hodgson as star makes long-awaited injury return

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Roy Hodgson insists Wilfried Zaha has the X Factor that can help Crystal Palace get out of their slump, starting on Saturday against Chelsea.

The winger, who was sidelined by a knee injury, is in line to be unleashed on the champions on Saturday after spending the international break building up his fitness.

Palace have suffered seven successive losses without scoring and Hodgson is desperate to break his duck against Antonio Conte’s Chelsea with the help of Zaha.

Wilfried Zaha returns from injury to join the Crystal Palace squad for the game against Chelsea

Zaha has been out since the opening day of the season after injuring his knee

‘He has got the X Factor,’ Hodgson said. ‘He can dribble and beat people. He has a special place in the hearts and minds of the Crystal Palace supporters.

‘I think they will feel more comfortable now that he is back believing he is the type of person who, with his ability, can change a game and turn a defeat into a draw or a draw into a victory.

‘There is a big psychological factor with him coming back and being able to play again.

‘It would be wrong to put too much pressure on him. If we’re not careful, he’ll be trying too hard. He will be trying to do it all by himself. Once players start to do that, their own games start to suffer.

He will add much-needed creativity as Palace look for their first points of the season

‘He’s got to be an important cog in a well-oiled machine and our job is to make certain that the machine is well enough oiled to produce that X Factor.’

It was Hodgson who handed Zaha his England debut against Sweden in 2012 before the 24-year-old later switched his allegiance to Ivory Coast.

‘He was in good form for Crystal Palace at the time but after that he moved to Manchester United and then he didn't play for two years, or a year and a half,’ Hodgson said.

‘By the time he came back (to Palace), I was still manager of England but he'd decided to play for Ivory Coast. I never had the chance to pick him when he was in his heyday here.’

P.S. Having won none, drawn none and lost seven, Roy Hodgson was asked what it was like to be 007 and whether he and his players were shaken or stirred.

‘I’m not a James Bond fan,’ answered Hodgson. ‘I saw one film donkeys years ago. I hope the players are inspired by the fact we are playing Chelsea.’

Roy Hodgson is desperate to end Palace's run of seven consecutive defeats in the league