Mamadou Sakho Will Reportedly Remain at Palace After Injury 'Not Serious'

On-loan Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho will remain at Crystal Palace for treatment on the knee injury he suffered against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday amid reports he could feature for the Eagles again this season. 

There were fears the France international's season could be over after he fell awkwardly on his leg against Spurs, but Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph reported the injury is "not as serious" as first thought.

Sakho could make his way back into manager Sam Allardyce's lineup before the end of this term, as Bascombe described the centre-back as having an "outside chance" of playing against Manchester United on May 21.

There were concerns Sakho ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee following Wednesday's tumble, which James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo reported could have kept him sidelined for up to nine months.

However, Allardyce can afford to breathe a sigh of relief after learning the 1-0 defeat to Spurs may not be Sakho's final appearance in Palace colours.

The Guardian's Dominic Fifield reported on Friday that the player had instead suffered bruising and a strain to his knee ligaments, although he noted it would still require a swift recovery to return by season's end:

Sakho will undoubtedly be raring to get more playing time on the board before his Selhurst Park stay comes to an end, too, having revived his best at Palace after becoming an outcast under manager Jurgen Klopp at parent club Liverpool. 

And the Eagles have felt the full benefits of his presence in kind, as OptaJean illustrated just what Sakho's impact has meant to a Palace team that's close to guaranteeing its Premier League survival:

A long-term injury setback would have been a hammer blow for Sakho given his form since joining Palace on loan this past winter.

Damien Delaney and Martin Kelly will still be the favourites to deputise in central defence while Sakho makes his recovery, and Allardyce will be hoping Scott Dann and James Tomkins can also return from injury in the near future.