Pierre Sage will return to Lyon on Thursday with Crystal Palace, describing the reunion with his former club as a particularly meaningful moment in his career. The Europa League fixture at Parc OL is scheduled for 17:45 BST, with Palace aiming to follow their opening league-phase victory over Lech Poznan with another success.
Sage spent two years coaching Lyon before moving on to Lens, his first managerial role in top-flight European football. He remains closely connected to the city and said he still considers Lyon home, making the visit with Palace especially significant.
The Palace manager expects a demanding contest against a Lyon team that also won its first European fixture. Although Lyon were beaten by Lens in their most recent domestic match, that was their first competitive loss of the season. Sage highlighted their attacking quality and pointed to the 4-0 victory over Rennes as a better reflection of their capabilities.
Palace will travel without Jean-Philippe Mateta, Dean Henderson, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben Chilwell. Mateta continues to work towards his return from injury, while players who were not registered for the Europa League have also remained out of the travelling squad. Everyone else is available for the match, according to Sage.
Around 3,000 Palace supporters are expected in France for the club's first European away fixture of the 2026/27 season. It will be their first continental trip since the memorable night in Leipzig five months ago, and Sage said the squad was proud to share the occasion with the travelling fans. He also expressed his gratitude for their support, regardless of the result.
