The Athletic’s Crystal Palace reporter Matt Woosnam believes Christian Benteke deserves credit for bouncing back after a tough couple of years with injuries.

Benteke missed a large portion of the 2018/2019 season with a knee injury and the following season missed further games through injury also.

The striker missed Palace’s opening two Premier League games last season with an ankle injury, but after being side lined over the past few seasons through injury, the striker hit some form last season, scoring 10 goals in the Premier League including four in Palace’s last five matches of the season.

Benteke signed a contract extension with Palace earlier in the summer and has continued his goalscoring form in pre-season as he got on the scoresheet in Palace’s 3-1 victory over Watford, as well as finding the back of the net against Brentford B just a few days later.

Benteke is happy to be back telling Crystal Palace’s media channels: “I feel good, obviously I need more minutes, but I feel good. I’m happy to be back and I’m looking forward to this new season.”

Woosnam believes that the striker has worked really to get back to form after a tough period of injuries, telling Football FanCast: “He went on obviously a good run towards the end of the season before getting injured - I think it was in the Arsenal game or just before which was unfortunate - but I think he worked hard to come back from sort of a real malaise over a couple of years.”

After hitting form at the end of last season and getting himself goals in pre-season, Benteke will be hoping that all the injuries are behind him and he can have a really good season for Crystal Palace in front of goal.