Everton summer target Wilfried Zaha is not expected to start when the Toffees travel to face Crystal Palace on Saturday, according to the Evening Standard.
The Blues had pushed to sign the Ivory Coast international until mid-afternoon on Deadline Day, with The Telegraph claiming two further offers were issued after our initial £52million approach was rejected.
One bid is believed to have included Cenk Tosun and £55million, and then a proposal to increase the cash-sum to £60million, but the Eagles would not budge from their initial £100million valuation, although they would have accepted £80million in cash.
Their reluctance to negotiate is understood to have left Zaha devastated, and puts Palace in the awkward position of needing to re-focus his mind on playing for them after the 11-cap ace’s potential exit was taken off the cards.
But it is his involvement in this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations for the Ivory Coast that is expected to rule him out of Saturday’s Premier League fixture at Selhurst Park, with the 26-year-old only just getting back up to speed.
Eagles boss Roy Hodgson is expected to start Jordan Ayew in his place, having reached an agreement with Swansea City in July to permanently sign the Ghana international for a reported £2.5million, after he spent last season in South London on loan.
Christian Benteke is expected to start Saturday’s curtain-raiser alongside Ayew in attack, with the former England manager tipped to favour a traditional 4-4-2.
Former Toffee James McCarthy is not thought to be in line for his Palace debut following his late window transfer to Selhurst Park, with Hodgson instead said to favour James McArthur, Luka Milivojevic, Max Meyer, and Andros Townsend in his midfield.
The Eagles defence, meanwhile, is expected to consist of Joel Ward, Martin Kelly, Mamadou Sakho, and Patrick Van Aanholt, while Vicente Guaita is due to start between the sticks, suggesting former Liverpool defender Sakho has overcome his knee injury.