Benteke very worried about World Cup selection

Palace have just three games remaining for Benteke to impress Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, before the World Cup squad is announced ahead of the summer tournament.

The 27-year-old has struggled in front of the goal this season, having scored just twice from 28 outings at club level this season and the striker is aware that his form could jeopardise his World Cup chances.

He told reporters: ''In the past I have had just one opportunity on the match and I scored. This year, I feel more involved in the game, I make more effort but I'm not rewarded. I do not say it's the fault of others, I'm clumsy, lack of lucidity, lack of success too. But I will work.''

Benteke was omitted from the recent call up for an international friendly against Saudi Arabia, and has admitted that a failure to regain his spot would be heartbreaking.

He said: ''I knew it was 50-50, I'm no longer a kid, I also knew the reason - it's my statistics and not the overall quality of my matches. The positive was that it allowed me to stay at my club and to be able to work on knowing why I was not taken in. And to address it.''

''If I had to miss [the World Cup], it would hurt me but I would recover. For my family, my cousins, it would be different. It is also their dream. It's not an individual sport where I'm alone. The more time goes, the more pressure I will feel, because they want it to work again for me, for me to be there,'' he concluded. 

Palace's remaining league fixtures are against Leicester City, Stoke and West Brom.