Pierre Sage could have been forgiven for hoping for a relatively low key start to life as Crystal Palace manager.
Instead, the Frenchman who proved himself in Ligue 1 with Lens last season, already finds himself dealing with uncertainty surrounding two of his most important attacking players, as well as an opening-day Premier League defeat.
Ismaïla Sarr was missing from the squad that lost 2-0 at Everton on Saturday, officially because of a groin problem, although his absence came amid considerable speculation linking him with a move to Galatasaray.
Sage has made it clear that Palace want to keep the Senegal international, but with the transfer window still open, the uncertainty over his future is an unwelcome distraction.
Things did not improve on the pitch. Palace were beaten 2-0 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium as Sage began his Premier League managerial career with a defeat.
Jean-Philippe Mateta did play, starting up front before being substituted after an hour, but his future has now provided Sage with another problem.
The French striker is challenging the validity of the extension to his Palace contract, which the club believe keeps him at Selhurst Park until June 2027.
Palace activated a 12-month option in Mateta’s contract in 2024, but the striker is disputing whether that extension is valid. An independent tribunal operating under Premier League rules has already ruled in Palace’s favour, after which Mateta took the dispute to FIFA.
For Palace, the implications are potentially significant. If the French international were ultimately able to establish that the extension was invalid, it could affect the club’s ability to demand a transfer fee for a player who has become one of their most valuable assets.
For Sage, however, the immediate concern is more straightforward.
One game into his first Premier League season with Palace, his side have already lost, Sarr’s future is the subject of transfer speculation, and Mateta is fighting the club over his contract.
It is hardly the settled beginning Palace’s new manager would have wanted, especially as some have tipped his side as potential relegation candidates this time round.
