Crystal Palace will welcome Ipswich Town to Selhurst Park on Saturday as Pierre Sage looks to make it three wins on the bounce in all competitions. 

The manager sat down to discuss the momentum carrying into the game after two wins, the fitness of the squad and also the situation surrounding Ismaïla Sarr. 

Sage continued to provide insightful answers as he settles into life in South London, praising his side's ability to win but not shying away from the things that need to change going forward. 

The Senegalese international hasn’t played since the pre-season defeat to Freiburg, after attempting to force a move away during the transfer window. A persistent groin injury has been the line, and it appears that issue is in fact real, but Sage hinted that we could see Sarr back in training as soon as next Monday. 

“It’s always the same, he’s not with the team at the moment…I thought he could be with us on Monday but that’s not the case…we expect him next Monday to start training.”

There were questions about his mental state due to the lack of ‘dream move’, but Sage hinted that he’s becoming more open to the fact that his short term future remains with Palace. 

“He’s better and better, feeling better, his face is more open than it was 10 days ago, but now that’s okay, we want him on the pitch now.”

Sarr will be an important player for Sage this season, and if he wants to secure his dream move, he needs to perform. 

Doucouré missed the 3-0 cup win against Middlesbrough despite Sage saying he would feature ahead of the game. Fortunately, it turns out that this was due to illness and not a further setback. 

“He’s well, he trained yesterday and this morning [Thursday], all will be good for him.”

There was little clarity over the fitness of other players in the squad, as Sage awaited fitness testing to guarantee who could be available. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Chadi Riad remain sidelined with both short and long term injuries. 

“We will make the point tomorrow because with the fatigue and the game on Saturday, tomorrow it will be better, I cannot give a correct list now.”

How winning impacts team spirit 

Winning late at Fulham after coming from behind twice was a huge momentum earner. The win in midweek also benefited the squad, as a number of players featured for the first time contributed to another big win. 

“We have to be satisfied with wins. The players give their best for the moment, maybe that’s all they can give, we always have the ideas to improve and always keep development of the demand high , but we have to be in line with the possibilities and balance those things.”

The spirit amongst the squad and fanbase appears to have taken a natural turn due to the wins, and Sage seemed keen to keep that going as he understood the importance of togetherness amongst the squad. 

“We have to maintain that because in bad moments of play it will be our safety, that’s why we need to be together. We need to be as a unit in this moment and to play something really difficult as all the opponents are at a good level.”

“We have to fight every weekend and without the team spirit we cannot do anything, that’s why I think it’s really important and that’s why I think it’s in line with the will of the fans.”

Palace have struggled at times to fully implement the style of play, and Sage himself admitted that it could take yet another few games before the team are able to dominate in the way he sees. 

“There is no comparison [with Palace and Ipswich]. They’re one of the best intensity teams in the league, there’s a big difference with us. We run a lot but without high speed, they are able to do that.”

“Of course we want to play with the ball and improve the way we play but we have to manage when we lose the ball, the counter pressing. I think it will be a good test for us. 

Under Oliver Glasner, Palace achieved things that no one thought possible. Sage is aiming to do the same and galvanise the spirit of the fans and the squad to do so. 

“In my life I’ve done things I never thought were possible…in a game, all is possible. I want the team to never give up, be able to give its best every game and you know, three years ago when you spoke to the previous manager, you never imagined he’d do what he did. Now we know that here, all is possible. We have to be in line, me and the club.”

Sage also spoke about the importance of winning games, and how a consistent run of strong results can completely change momentum. 

“When you win there’s less pressure, but the pressure is always here for me because I want to do the best I can with the staff and players. We need to improve our play, our confidence to play, that’s why everyday is important, every session is important and every player has to understand that.”

Palace will look to make it three wins on the bounce on Saturday, and with the visit of a side who have lost two in a row, it’s a great chance to continue building towards a positive season.