Crystal Palace begin a fresh chapter on Saturday afternoon as Pierre Sage leads his side to Merseyside to face Everton for the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
The Eagles travel to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium under a brand-new regime following Oliver Glasner’s exit over the summer. While Sage focuses on laying down tactical foundations, Everton manager David Moyes faces an early head-scratcher in the centre of the park.
Midfield headaches for Moyes
Everton head into Saturday’s opener short of options in central midfield. New summer signing from Arsenal Christian Norgaard and James Garner will both miss the clash through injury, leaving the home side stripped of key engine-room personnel.
Garner remains on the sidelines after undergoing summer surgery, missing the entirety of pre-season. Meanwhile, summer recruit Norgaard continues his spell on the treatment table after failing to feature in any of Everton’s warm-up fixtures.
To compound Moyes’ selection concerns, young midfielder Tim Iroegbunam also carries a knock and faces a late fitness test. Everton still hold reasonable depth in most departments bar ring-fenced concerns at right-back and new signing and former Crystal Palace player Brennan Johnson could make his competitive debut and new Palace midfielder Dwight McNeil.
Palace monitor Henderson’s fitness
Sage faces his own high-stakes selection choice ahead of his official debut in the Palace dugout.
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson sustained a blow during Palace’s final pre-season test against Freiburg. The England international limped off during the match and appeared to struggle while walking in social media footage filmed at Copers Cope Road earlier this week. Palace media staff swiftly deleted the video clip to avoid handing Everton an unnecessary pre-match advantage.
Should Henderson fail to shake off the discomfort in time for kickoff, Sage must decide whether to hand a full league debut to his backup options under the bright lights of Merseyside.
Sage seeks opening statement
All eyes turn to Sage as he takes charge of his first competitive match since stepping into the Selhurst Park hotseat.
The French tactician spent the summer implementing a fluid, high-pressing system designed to sharpen Palace’s transition play. Silencing a noisy home crowd at the Hill Dickinson Stadium presents an immediate trial, but Everton’s depleted midfield hands Palace a clear target to exploit.
If Sage’s side dictates the tempo early on and tests Everton’s makeshift core, Palace stand a strong chance of kicking off the campaign with three valuable points on the road.
