Injury boost for Mamadou Sakho after scan confirms Crystal Palace defender has only bruised and strained knee ligaments

Mamadou Sakho has not suffered a serious injury and has an outside chance of playing again this season.

Crystal Palace feared the centre-back had badly damaged knee ligaments after falling awkwardly during the 1‑0 defeat by Tottenham on Wednesday night.

However, a scan has revealed that Sakho has only bruised and strained the ligaments.

Palace have four games remaining this season and although Sakho is likely to have to sit them out, there is a slim hope he could play in the final match of the season, against Manchester United on May 21.

News that the injury is not serious is a boost for Sakho, who is on loan from Liverpool, after a testing 12 months.

Sakho was handed a Uefa suspension after taking fat-burning pills at the end of last season and, while he has subsequently been cleared, the ban saw him miss the Europa League Final for Liverpool and Euro 2016 for France. He then fell out with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool last summer.

Palace manager Sam Allardyce said: “He was enjoying his football so much after such a period in isolation this season and really making a big influence on the players in the dressing room as well as his performances.”

Sakho has been a colossus at the back for Palace since moving to Selhurst Park in January and Allardyce is desperate to keep him.

But Palace do not have an option to make his loan move permanent and Allardyce has admitted it would take a “big negotiation” to buy him this summer, with clubs in the Premier League and across Europe likely to be interested.

Fellow centre-backs James Tomkins (leg) and Scott Dann (knee) are also out, so Allardyce is likely to select Martin Kelly and Damien Delaney at the heart of his defence against Burnley tomorrow.