Crystal Palace will have to wait until after the international break for further clarity on the fitness of Dean Henderson and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Sage indicated that Henderson’s recovery timeline is currently clearer than Mateta’s, but said he could not provide a definitive update on either player yet.
Palace travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 BST. The match follows Thursday’s 4-0 Europa League victory over Lech Poznan, a result Sage described as highly satisfying after Palace scored through four different players and kept a clean sheet.
Cheick Doucoure was unavailable for that European fixture because he was not included in Palace’s squad list for the competition. Sage explained that the club may be able to alter the list in January if Palace reach the knockout stages, while confirming that Doucoure remains eligible to play in the Premier League.
The manager believes the win over Lech has helped strengthen confidence within the squad. He pointed to the team’s improved understanding of how to score and defend, as well as the return of more players to contention, giving Palace a wider range of ways to win matches.
Ismaila Sarr made his return from injury against Lech Poznan and received some boos from supporters. Sage said the winger needs more time on the pitch and could start against Leeds, although he does not expect him to last the entire game. Jaydee Canvot is also back in the matchday squad after being left out for the previous weekend’s game against Ipswich, with Sage saying the young player had responded well in training and understood the standards expected of him.
