Pierre Sage says Crystal Palace will wait until after Friday’s training session before deciding whether goalkeeper Dean Henderson is fit to face Brighton on Sunday.
The Palace manager also indicated that Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ben Chilwell and Takehiro Tomiyasu could potentially return, although he cautioned that their availability remains uncertain. Sage said the club had hoped for their involvement in previous matches too, but the situation had not developed as expected.
Palace travel to the Amex Stadium for the 14:00 BST kick-off after Thursday’s Europa League defeat by Lyon. Sage blamed the result on a passive first-half display, saying his side allowed Lyon to control the game before improving after the interval. However, he felt that response came too late to change the outcome.
The fixture with Brighton carries particular significance for Palace supporters. Sage acknowledged that fans dislike the term ‘M23 derby’, but said everyone at the club understands the importance of the contest. He pointed to the second halves of Palace’s last two matches as the level his team must reproduce from the beginning.
Sage said the rivalry was one of the first things explained to him when he arrived at Palace and that he had spent recent days learning more about its history. Asked about Palace being omitted from the ‘Bermuda triangle’ label associated with Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth, he said the club should remain confident in its board and recruitment strategy, describing that approach as part of Palace’s identity.
The manager also compared English football with Ligue 1, saying the Premier League has a higher average level and that every match presents a difficult challenge.
