Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic praised Wilfried Zaha for playing his 300th league game for the club at the weekend.
Academy graduate Zaha was unable to help Roy Hodgson’s team get the better of Leicester City at Selhurst Park on Sunday, with second-half goals from defender Caglar Soyuncu and Golden Boot leader Jamie Vardy handing the Foxes a 2-0 win.
That victory has seen Brendan Rodgers’ men return to third place in the table, leapfrogging Chelsea, while the Eagles have slipped to ninth, two points behind fifth-placed Arsenal.
Ivory Coast international Zaha, who revealed his desire to leave Selhurst Park in the summer, is yet to score this season but he has registered one assist, while also winning a penalty in the 2-2 draw at Arsenal on October 27.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the 26-year-old’s future, Sunday was his 300th league game for Palace and skipper Milivojevic was full of praise for the fantastic feat.
“It’s an amazing achievement,” he said. “To play 300 (league) games for one club is amazing and he is an important player for us, but his future is in his hands.”
It is claimed Arsenal, who signed Nicolas Pepe in a club-record £72million deal this summer after missing out on Zaha, are still interested in signing the forward.
Palace return to action on Saturday, the final weekend before the international break, when they make the trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea, who are sitting comfortably in fourth.
The Blues defeated Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road on Saturday, making it five straight league wins for Frank Lampard’s men.
Former England boss Roy Hodgson, who recently confirmed he is in talks to extend his contract at Selhurst Park, will be looking to guide Palace to their first win over Chelsea since October 2017.
This fixture last season ended in a 3-1 victory for the hosts, with Alvaro Morata’s brace and a Pedro strike enough to down the Eagles, whose goal came courtesy of Andros Townsend.
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