Crystal Palace Seek First Points Against Fulham as Sage Faces Selection Dilemmas

Crystal Palace head to Craven Cottage on Saturday still searching for their first win – and first point – of the new Premier League season, with Pierre Sage already under early-season strain.

Two games, two defeats, and a team still trying to recognise itself under a new manager. Palace opened with a flat 2–0 loss away to Everton, then were torn apart 4–1 at home by Manchester City. Six goals conceded in two matches tells its own story. So does the fact their only strike so far came via an own goal.

The defending has been fragile. The attack, blunt. Now comes a tricky trip to Fulham with a squad that looks even thinner than it did on opening day.

Sage hit by injuries – and a selection headache

Sage’s first weeks in charge were never going to be simple, but the injury list has turned a difficult start into something much more awkward.

Star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is out for around three weeks with a hamstring problem, stripping Palace of their main focal point up front at the very moment they need a reliable finisher.

Ismaïla Sarr is also unavailable with a groin issue. He has missed recent training in the wake of a collapsed move to Liverpool, leaving another hole in the wide areas just as Sage searches for pace and penetration.

At the back, there is no quick fix either. Defender Chadi Riad remains a long-term absentee with a serious knee injury, limiting the manager’s options as he tries to tighten up a back line that has been far too generous.

The result is a manager hunting his first points of the campaign with a heavily depleted squad and some big calls to make.

New arrivals ready to step in

The one shaft of light for Palace comes from the late transfer business. Several fresh faces are now in the building, and Sage is expected to lean on them quickly.

Ben Chilwell, Honest Ahanor, Quinten Timber, and Darío Osorio have all trained with the first team and are eligible to feature at Craven Cottage. They may not know every detail of Sage’s system yet, but they bring legs, energy, and, crucially, competition.

Osorio, in particular, is strongly backed to see early minutes out wide. With Mateta and Sarr missing, the Chilean’s direct running and willingness to attack defenders could be vital in giving Palace a different dimension in the final third.

Sage may not have planned to throw so many new signings in at once. The situation might leave him with little choice.

How Palace could line up

Against Fulham, Palace are expected to lean on a reshaped XI that reflects both the injuries and the new arrivals.

Predicted Crystal Palace starting XI: Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Tomiyasu; Khalaili, Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell; McNeil, Larsen, Pino.

It is a side that suggests more control in midfield and width higher up the pitch, with responsibility shared across the front line rather than resting on a single centre-forward.

Kick-off details

Fulham vs Crystal Palace kicks off at 3pm BST on Saturday, 5 September.

Because of the 3pm blackout rule in the UK, the game will not be televised domestically. For Sage and Palace, that might suit just fine. This feels like a match to be won quietly, away from the glare, before the season’s narrative hardens into something far more unforgiving.