Yannick Bolasie hopes the break from Premier League action will enable Palace to get players back to full fitness ahead of Saturday’s London derby with QPR.

Alan Pardew’s side went into last Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat against Southampton missing five key individuals with Yaya Sanogo, Maroune Chamakh, Glenn Murray, Jordan Mutch and Fraizer Campbell all absent.

And Bolasie highlighted the need for recuperation to help get them back and available ahead of the Selhurst meeting with the Hoops.

The winger said: “I think by the time the next game against QPR comes round everyone should be back and fit again.

“As a footballer, this break we now have can be frustrating because most tend to want to get back into it straight away after a game – to get a win back on the board.

“But we’re looking forward to QPR now, and maybe the break will do us good.

“It will give me and the team a chance to freshen up and hopefully see us through to the end of the season.”

It looked as though the Eagles were missing those familiar faces in attack during the Saints defeat, a result which ended Pardew’s unbeaten away record.

“Hopefully we’ll have players back in time for the next game - because I think that’s what was missing a little bit at Southampton,” Bolasie added.

“We had people who weren’t fully fit like Shola Ameobi playing at Southampton.”

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