Crystal Palace dealt huge blow with star striker Christian Benteke ruled out for SIX weeks with knee injury
CRYSTAL PALACE have been dealt a hammer blow after Christian Benteke was ruled of action for six weeks.
The big Belgian striker injured his knee against Manchester City on Saturday and limped off after the knock.
Benteke, 26, underwent a scan this morning and the results brought bad news for the Eagles.
The ex-Aston Villa star is now looking at upto two months out of action.
His absence will come as a bitter setback to new boss Roy Hodgson.
The ex-England manager took over the helm at the pointless and GOALLESS South London outfit early this month.
Yet his arrival has still not helped the club to get off the mark in either the points or goals for column.
The 5-0 thumping at the Etihad against City was his second game in charge following the previous week's 1-0 reverse at home to Southampton.
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He returned from the wilderness to replace Frank de Boer after the Dutchman was sacked just 77 days after being appointed by the Eagles.
Palace lost the opening four matches of their league campaign and defeat at Burnley on September 11 proved to be the final nail in his coffin as chairman Steve Parish pulled the trigger.
But that change and Hodgson's arrival has failed to provide an upturn in results with the Eagles currently sitting bottom of the table on zero points and still yet to hit the net once.
And things are not getting any easier.
They travel to Manchester United on Saturday before welcoming the reigning champions Chelsea to Selhurst after the international break.
After a slow start to life in the capital, Benteke eventually found his feet for Palace and scored 15 goals last season to help them beat the drop.
But by the time he returns to action he may find that the gap to safety is one too big to overturn.
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