Update: Crystal Palace prepare for Everton opener
This preview has been updated on 17 September 2026 with the latest confirmed team news ahead of Crystal Palace’s Premier League opener at Everton. The core details from our original Everton vs Crystal Palace preview still stand, but supporters now have clarity on selection issues at both clubs.
Palace go into the fixture under a new manager and as reigning European champions. Everton have also confirmed several absences, giving both sides plenty to think about before Saturday’s kick-off.
Pierre Sage takes charge as Palace manager
Pierre Sage takes his seat in the away dugout for the first time in a competitive Premier League fixture. He replaced Oliver Glasner as Crystal Palace manager after Glasner left to take charge of Nottingham Forest.
Sage arrives with a strong recent record. He guided Lens to victory in the Coupe de France and led the club to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 last season, credentials that will raise expectations at Selhurst Park.
He also inherits a Palace side entering the new campaign as UEFA Conference League trophy holders, a status that adds extra weight to his first competitive selection. For a sense of how his early ideas have taken shape on the training ground, our early tactical discussions under Sage cover the ground work done since his appointment.
Sage’s summer has also been shaped by business done in the transfer market, with several new faces added to the group he now has to organise. Our breakdown of the summer transfer window business sets out who has come in and who has left ahead of this opening fixture.
Everton vs Crystal Palace preview and team news
Everton manager David Moyes has confirmed his side will be without three players for the visit of Crystal Palace. Moyes ruled out James Garner, Christian Nørgaard and Tim Iroegbunam, leaving him with fewer options in central midfield for the opening match.
Palace have their own fitness concern heading into the weekend. Pierre Sage confirmed Dean Henderson is a selection doubt after the goalkeeper twisted his ankle during a pre-season match against Freiburg.
Sage has not said whether Henderson will be fit enough to feature, only that his involvement remains uncertain. Palace supporters wanting the wider picture on squad availability can check our overview of squad contract details for the full picture heading into the new season.
With Moyes managing his own injury list and Sage assessing Henderson’s fitness, both managers face selection calls before Saturday. Neither club has offered further detail beyond these confirmed absences, so supporters should treat any other team news as unverified until either manager speaks again.
What happens next
Crystal Palace’s 2026/27 Premier League campaign begins in earnest on Saturday at Goodison Park. It is Pierre Sage’s first competitive league match in charge, and the first real test of how his ideas translate from pre-season into a Premier League fixture.
Everton will assess their midfield options in the absence of Garner, Nørgaard and Iroegbunam, while Palace wait on further word regarding Dean Henderson’s fitness. Both squads are expected to be confirmed closer to kick-off.
Supporters should expect further updates on team news and lineups as Saturday approaches, with this article reflecting the most recently confirmed information from both camps.
