Soccer-Palace defender Sakho facing spell out after knee surgery

Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho has had a knee operation and is set for a spell on the sidelines, manager Roy Hodgson said ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Burnley. French centre back Sakho picked up the injury in Palace's 4-1 win over Leicester City last month and missed their 3-1 defeat by Manchester United on Wednesday.

"Mamadou Sakho had an operation in Paris yesterday and will need time to recover. We hope to get him back as soon as we can," Hodgson told a news conference. Defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka has shaken off a hamstring injury and is available while Pape Souare is also making progress after dislocating his shoulder.

"Wan-Bissaka is fit again, which is a boost for us. Souare is close to returning," Hodgson added. "It's been a fantastic year for Aaron. I like how hard he works and how firmly he's been able to keep his feet on the ground. His consistency, work-rate and humility to learn and grow are all wonderful assets."

Palace are 14th in the table with 30 points from 28 matches. (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)