September 7 2026

Selhurst Park

It has been a mixed start to the 2026/27 Premier League campaign for new manager Pierre Sage, writes Andy Blake.

Not only is he still getting his feet under Oliver Glasner's former desk at Selhurst Park, but he has also had a tricky summer transfer window to navigate.

With a couple of notable departures, the 47-year-old Frenchman has also seen his first-team options boosted by a number of arrivals, and if recent reports are anything to go by as predicted by some betting sites in Japan, he could now be welcoming another important player back into the fold for Tuesday evening's League Cup third-round clash with Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park.

The 26-year-old Mali international Cheick Doucoure has endured a difficult spell with injuries over the last 20 months, initially rupturing his Achilles in our 2-1 defeat to Luton Town in November 2023. He returned to make 14 appearances during the 2024/25 season as he built himself back up, only to then suffer a serious knee injury that required surgery.

Having since continued his rehabilitation and worked his way back towards full fitness, Tuesday could finally provide the first-team return Palace fans have been waiting for.

Sage has already confirmed that Doucoure will be involved, and while most would probably expect that to mean a place in the matchday squad and perhaps an appearance from the substitutes' bench, we will have to wait until the team is announced for the exact answer.

Either way, it would mark another significant step in his recovery given that his last senior Palace appearance came in the 2-0 victory over Leicester City on January 15, 2025.

Having been named Palace's Player of the Season during his debut 2022/23 campaign, Doucoure returning to full fitness and rediscovering his best form could be exactly what Sage needs as he looks to create his own success at Selhurst Park and build on the club's achievements of recent seasons.

Speaking ahead of the Middlesbrough game, Sage explained: “When I told him he would be with us, his smile was incredible. I like this kind of reaction because that’s for me the start of how we play football, how we love this game and the only thing he wanted is to come back with the team. This is the first step and he will play a little bit on Tuesday for sure.”

Given Palace's wider summer business, it will also be interesting to see whether McNeil or Guessand return to the squad after both were left out for what Sage described as a “sports decision”.

Former Aston Villa forward Guessand was also omitted from Palace's Europa League squad, although Sage suggested there was no lasting problem with either player and explained that he had been unhappy with aspects of their performance against Manchester City.

He said: “Sometimes the players have to be shaken to regain their level. It’s only one game. Maybe they will come back with us on Tuesday.”

We should soon find out on that front, and although Sage has also made it clear that he is not a great believer in rotation for rotation's sake, the League Cup tie could still provide opportunities for one or two of Palace's late summer arrivals to make their mark.