Crystal Palace face an intense run of seven matches between 10 and 31 October, with fixtures arriving roughly every three days. The schedule includes two UEFA Europa League away games, four Premier League matches and a Carabao Cup third-round tie.
The Eagles’ next midweek without a game is not expected until the international window in mid-November. Their immediate challenge is a Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park on Sunday, before a trip to Olympique Lyonnais and then an away game against Brighton & Hove Albion, who sit third in the early league table.
Sage is refusing to look beyond Forest. The Palace manager believes a strong performance in the first match can help build confidence and create momentum for the fixtures that follow, with each result and display influencing the team’s outlook for the next game.
The Forest match will also see former Palace manager Oliver Glasner return with the visitors, while Sage will face his former club Lyon in the following fixture. Sage recalled experiencing a similar situation with RC Lens last season, when his side faced Lyon and lost 1-0, but stressed that familiarity with former players does not remove the uncertainty of a match.
Sage also provided a positive update on Ismaïla Sarr, indicating that the forward is fit enough to be included in the starting XI, although he may not be ready to play the full 90 minutes.
