(Reuters) - Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha is committed to helping the club in the new Premier League season despite the disappointment of missing out on a deadline day move away from Selhurst Park, manager Roy Hodgson said on Friday.
Zaha, 26, was linked to both Arsenal and Everton during the English transfer window, which closed on Thursday, but Palace refused to accept offers below their 80 million-pound valuation of the Ivory Coast international.
"He's as I expected he would be... he's a professional and realises that... he's committed to the club and helping us to do what we need to do to stay in the league," Hodgson told a news conference ahead of Saturday's league opener against Everton.
"I can't say to you that he's jubilant, I can't say to you that he's delighted with the situation because it's not the outcome that he wanted.
"We were waiting to see what the outcome would be and for us it was very good because Wilf is still with us and we're looking forward to again benefiting from the skills he brings to us and help us win matches."
Hodgson said James Tomkins (groin), Mamadou Sakho (knee) and Jeffrey Schlupp (ankle) who missed the end of last season with injuries, would not be ready for the opener.
However, Senegal's Cheikhou Kouyate and Ghana's Jordan Ayew, who like Zaha took part in the recent Africa Cup of Nations, will be in contention to feature against Everton.
Palace finished 12th last season.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)