Zaha left the club ahead of its season-opening match in Seattle and returned home to England for the birth of his daughter.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β Charlotte FC star Wilfried Zaha was schedule to return to the club on Thursday afternoon and train ahead of Saturday’s home-opening match against Atlanta United.
Zaha, who was acquired on loan in January, left the club ahead of its season-opening match in Seattle and returned home to England for the birth of his daughter.
Charlotte manager Dean Smith says all appears well with the mother and baby, and Zaha was on his way back to Charlotte and will train for two days in advance of Saturday’s match.
“I’m waiting to take him out for a session at 4 o’clock this afternoon,” Smith said. “I’m really pleased for him.”
Charlotte pulled off the biggest acquisition in club history when it picked up Zaha on loaan from Galatasaray.
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The 32-year-old forward is most well-known for his time with Permier League side Crystal Palace.
During his time in EPL, Zaha scored 68 goals in 305 appearances.
He trained during the preseason and built some chemistry with Charlotte’s other players on the attack, but was gone for nearly a week.
“His chemistry was getting there,” Smith said. “Top players adapt quickly to other players. The fact that he’s been away for 5-6 days is a little bit of a concern, but we’ll see where he is when he comes in today.”
Charlotte expects 40,000-50,000 supporters for Saturday’s match, which kicks off at 2 p.m.
“I’m thankful to all the supporters who are going to come to the game,” Smith said. “If your neighbors aren’t coming, knock on the door and get them here because we want as many of you as we can.”
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