Ismaïla Sarr is moving closer to his best form, according to Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage, who expects the forward to benefit from building up his playing time. Sarr returned to the starting XI for the first time this season during Wednesday’s defeat in Lyon before being substituted in the second half.
Sage believes the Senegal international may now be ready to play the full match at Brighton on Sunday. Sarr has enjoyed notable success against Palace’s rivals, scoring the only goal at the Amex Stadium last season and contributing two goals and an assist in a 3-1 Palace victory the previous year.
The manager acknowledged that Sarr had not been able to train extensively during the summer, meaning his progress would come through successive appearances. Sage pointed to Quinten Timber’s improvement after his first two matches as an example of how a player can regain their level by collecting minutes.
With Dean Henderson currently sidelined by injury, Adam Wharton is set to captain Palace again. The 22-year-old’s next Premier League appearance will be his 77th, and Sage believes his example on the pitch already reflects emerging leadership qualities.
Sage also indicated that he values having a clear order of leadership within the squad, with different captains able to lead through communication, support or intensity. Wharton’s influence will be important again as Palace face a demanding Thursday-to-Sunday run, with both of this week’s fixtures taking place away from home.
Despite the schedule, Sage adopted an upbeat tone when discussing the workload. He described management as the job he had always wanted and made clear that the demands of preparing for matches would not lessen his enthusiasm.
