Pierre Sage is embracing Crystal Palace’s demanding schedule as he attempts to guide the club through three competitions, despite increasing pressure following a difficult run of Premier League results.
Palace sit 18th after losing their last three league matches against Brighton, Newcastle United and Tottenham without scoring. Their latest setback came in a 2-0 defeat to Spurs, although the Eagles had previously advanced to the EFL Cup quarter-finals by beating Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage.
Attention now turns to the Europa League and Thursday’s first meeting with Hoffenheim at Selhurst Park. Palace have drawn their last two matches in the competition, including a 2-2 result against Besiktas, and will be aiming to avoid a third successive European game without a win.
Sage said the opportunity to compete in Europe was a positive consequence of Palace’s success in winning the Conference League last season. He added that the main challenge across the three competitions was the varying amount of preparation time, with Palace having three training sessions before facing Hoffenheim. According to the manager, that work has been important for rebuilding confidence, improving the players’ understanding of the plan and preparing them to carry it out.
The Palace boss also confirmed a double boost to his squad, with Quinten Timber and Jorgen Strand Larsen available again after training last week without being ready to play. Sage said the rest of the squad was also expected to be available.
Jean-Philippe Mateta can feature despite being sent off against Tottenham for a late challenge on Micky van de Ven. Palace’s appeal against the dismissal was upheld on Wednesday, meaning Mateta will instead miss the league fixtures against Liverpool, Coventry City and Hull City.
Hoffenheim arrive after a 3-0 Europa League victory over Lyon. The German side have lost all five of their European matches against English opposition, although they have scored in each of those games.
