“We were all expecting” – Journalist drops fresh verdict on CPFC ace barely-seen in recent weeks

Crystal Palace striker Odsonne Edouard hasn’t been getting the ‘opportunities’ to impress in recent weeks, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 24-year-old has seemingly slipped down the pecking order of manager Patrick Vieira over the last month or so and is having to settle for a place on the bench at this moment in time.

Palace splashed out an initial £14 million to bring Edouard to Selhurst Park from Scottish giants Celtic in the summer transfer window after missing out on the signature of Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah.

And the former France Under-21 international made an instant impact, with his goal 28 seconds after coming on as a substitute against Tottenham the fastest by a player on their Premier League debut.

Edouard further displayed his predatory instincts by grabbing a second in the 3-0 win over Spurs back in September, but he’s struggled to kick on since.

Only one goal followed in his subsequent 12 top-flight outings before a hot streak of form throughout December and January saw the 6 foot 2 ace register six goal contributions in six league games.

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However, that purple patch proved to be short-lived for Edouard, and he no longer appears to be at the forefront of Vieira’s thinking.

In Palace last five fixtures in all competitions, Edouard has featured in just one minute of action after coming off the bench late on against Watford, highlighting his reduced role in recent weeks.

Edouard has been battling with fellow strikers Christian Benteke and Jean-Philippe Mateta for a starting berth throughout the current campaign, yet all three have failed to make the position their own.

In fact, against Burnley last month, Vieira opted to keep