Pierre Sage has revealed that five or six Crystal Palace academy players could remain involved with his senior squad during the 2026/27 season.
Palace used 21 players during their 5-1 pre-season victory over Swindon Town as Sage took charge of his first match since replacing Oliver Glasner.
Matheus França scored a hat-trick and Eddie Nketiah added two goals, but the new head coach was also keen to assess the club’s emerging talent.
Sage believes a small group of the Under-21 players involved in pre-season have an opportunity to earn places around his first-team squad.
Sage opens Palace pathway for academy players
Speaking after the friendly, Sage said Palace’s current circumstances provide an ideal opportunity for youngsters to demonstrate their ability.
“We met a lot of the young players,” Sage said in comments shared by Palace Report.
“We have 21 players today, maybe only five or six Under-21s who can play with us during the season, but it’s a good time to give the young a chance to show what they can do.”
Palace have included several academy prospects in first-team training since Sage began work at Copers Cope.
Charlie Walker-Smith, Joél Drakes-Thomas, Mofe Jemide, Dean Benamar and George King were among those assessed during the opening week.
Read Crystal Palace recently examined Walker-Smith’s first-team opportunity after the versatile defender caught the eye in Sage’s first sessions.
Palace’s European and domestic cup schedule should provide routes into the team, although Sage will need to balance development with the demands of senior football.
The head coach stressed that he wants to help the youngsters grow rather than simply use them to increase training numbers.
Pre-season now gives Palace’s academy players a clear opportunity to become part of Sage’s plans before the established internationals return.
