Crystal Palace weigh up move for former England international

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson is weighing up a move to reunite with Rickie Lambert but is yet to make any contract with the free agent, reports The Independent.

The Eagles currently have no recognised centre forward available following news Christian Benteke could be sidelined for more than six weeks after suffering a serious knee injury at the weekend.

With Connor Wickham also injured, Hodgson has been forced to enter the market for a free agent in order to try and salvage Palace’s season that is quickly going from bad to worse.

Lambert has been linked with a move to Selhurst Park after being released by Cardiff back in January and Hodgson has worked with the 35-year-old during his time as England manager.

Palace aren’t expected to make any decisions until the end of the international break at the start of October, although things need to improve quickly as the Eagles are bottom of the Premier League with six defeats from their opening six matches.

By doing so, Palace are the first team to record the unwanted feat since Portsmouth in the 2009/10 campaign. Dauntingly for Palace, Pompey went on to finish the season bottom that year.

Lambert scored four goals in 18 Championship appearances prior to leaving Cardiff at the start of the year and the veteran striker, who scored on his England debut, is currently training in Liverpool to maintain his fitness.