Crystal Palace set for Sakho boost against Manchester City

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has been given a welcome boost ahead of Saturday's daunting trip to Manchester City after confirming Mamadou Sakho will start his first league game since returning to the club on a permanent deal at the end of the summer.

Sakho made his second Palace debut during their League Cup third round win over Huddersfield in midweek and is now ready to start his first league game of the season after making a full recovery from a serious knee injury suffered in April.

The former France international got 70 minutes of action under his belt against the Terriers and exceeded Hodgson’s expectations after more than four months out injured. With Sakho at the back, Palace kept their first first clean sheet of the season and the Palace manager has confirmed Sakho will start against City.

“He is match fit. He will start. I heard so many good things about him, and had seen him play for Liverpool and Palace last year, but I can understand why he’s made himself a bit of a favourite with the Selhurst fans,” The Daily Mirror quote Hodgson as saying ahead of Saturday’s clash with City.

“His performances was very assured and composed, showing a lot of quality with and without the ball. It was more than we could have hoped for. We hope, with his quality and his leadership qualities, he helps us move away from the relegation zone.”

Palace are the first team in Premier League history to lose their opening five games without scoring and are now tasked with facing a City side that cannot stop finding the back of the net. Defeat against Pep Guardiola’s side would mean Palace would become the first team since Portsmouth in the 2009/10 campaign to lose their fist six matches - Pompey ended that season bottom of the league.

Since the start of last season, Palace have won 62.5% of their Premier League matches when Sakho has started compared to just 20% when the French defender has not been available from the off.