Crystal Palace coach Roy Hodgson has revealed that the substitution of Eberechi Eze at half-time in his side's 4-1 defeat suffered at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur was tactical and not injury-enforced.

The decision to replace Eze with fit-again Wilfried Zaha, who had missed the previous five games on account of injury, did not go down well with some pundits and Crystal Palace fans.

 

Eze was involved in the build-up to the equalising goal netted by Christian Benteke, the Anglo-Nigerian drifted away from Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg then put the ball out towards the right, and from Luka Milivojevic's cross into the box the Belgian headed home.

At the post-match press conference, Hodgson was asked if Eze was replaced due to injury or a tactical substitution and he replied : "He wasn't injured but I mean the fact is someone had to make way for Wilf and we decided that Eberechi would have to be the player to make way for him on this occasion.

"But no luckily he's not injured and he'll be available for the next game".
 

Eze has not scored or assisted a goal since the Eagles beat Newcastle United on February 2.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel