Roy Hodgson says Wilfried Zaha and James Tomkins' suspensions will be a 'massive blow'

Roy Hodgson said Wilfried Zaha and James Tomkins' suspensions will be a "massive blow" for Crystal Palace after they slipped to 16th following a 3-2 defeat to West Ham.

The pair will miss Palace's home game with Leicester next weekend, with the club now just two points above the bottom three.

Tomkins' fifth booking of the season was given while he walked off the pitch at full-time for remonstrating with referee Anthony Taylor over a contentious free-kick the official gave in the build-up to the Hammers' second goal, while Zaha's late challenge on Pablo Zabaleta will also see him suspended.

Hodgson said: "It's a massive blow, it's something you want to avoid. I'm particularly disappointed with Tomkins' one after the game, I don't believe he abused the referee, I think he was disappointed because it was his foul or supposed foul which led to the free-kick with the second goal.

"He was foolish enough to tell the referee he thought he had made the wrong decision. I thought it was harsh of the referee to book him."

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Hodgson himself was unhappy with the decision to award the free-kick, and suggested the manner of the goals Palace had conceded were unlucky, with two superb strikes from outside the box courtesy of Robert Snodgrass and Felipe Anderson contributing to their downfall.

He said: "They scored three goals, but I didn't think they push us back, maybe in the first half more than in the second but they were leading at half-time.

"We did concede a couple of goals that on another day we might not have conceded, we thought we were hard done by with the free-kick that led to the Hernandez goal, but that doesn't matter.

"What matters is what the referee decides, and you've got to deal with it and you've got to defend it, and we didn't."

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