Christian Benteke has been ruled out for at least six weeks with a knee injury.

It comes as a significant blow to the Eagles, who are bottom of the Premier League after losing their first six games.

Benteke suffered ligament damage in Palace’s 5-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.

It leaves the club with no recognised striker to fill in for the Belgium international. Winger Bakary Sako is set to lead the line against Manchester United this weekend.

And so, Palace might have to look at bringing in a free agent to bolster their squad. They have one space left in their 25-man Premier League squad.

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Rickie Lambert has been without a club since leaving Cardiff in the summer, and is a player Eagles boss Roy Hodgson knows well from their time together with England.

The former Liverpool striker was part of the England squad, selected by Hodgson, that played in the 2014 World Cup.

Lambert was banished from the Cardiff first-team by Neil Warnock, but does have top-flight experience with the Reds, West Brom and Southampton.

And Hodgson could see Lambert as a short-term replacement for Benteke.