Ismaila Sarr Injury Update: Crystal Palace Coach Speaks Out
Pierre Sage insists Ismaila Sarr will not be leaving Crystal Palace any time soon – despite Liverpool knocking on the door and Galatasaray already having two bids turned away.
The 28-year-old winger, who sat out Palace’s Premier League opener against Everton, has become one of the most talked‑about names of the early window. Interest is real, money is on the table, and yet Sage is adamant the situation is far more straightforward than the noise suggests.
“He is injured. He is in pain.”
Rumours that Sarr has downed tools to force a move have been firmly dismissed by the new Palace head coach. For Sage, the explanation is simple: Sarr’s groin.
“Ismaila Sarr is injured. He is in pain with his groin – that’s why you didn’t see him with us today,” Sage said, confirming the Senegal international is working away from the main group. “He is in individual training because he is really in pain with his groin. But we’ll prepare him, he needs time.”
Sarr has three years left on his contract, a detail Sage leaned on when asked if he expects the forward to stay.
“For the moment, yeah,” he replied. “Because when you have three years on the contract, it is not easy to leave.”
Sage admitted he initially hoped for a quicker recovery, but stressed the medical team now dictate the timeline. What he could say with certainty was that Sarr will play no part when Manchester City visit Selhurst Park on Friday night.
“No chance,” he said, shutting that door immediately.
Transfer noise and human fallout
Behind the scenes, Sage has spent the week in conversation with Sarr, trying to steady a player whose name is suddenly tied to Liverpool and a big move away.
“I understand that for everybody to have this kind of contact is difficult, because you hesitate a lot,” he said. “But for the moment, he is with us. He is under contract.”
The Palace boss accepts that when Liverpool are mentioned, it can rattle even the most grounded professional.
“It’s always difficult for a player when your name is associated with a club like Liverpool,” he admitted.
Sage, though, pushed back at any suggestion of games being played around the injury, insisting there is no hidden agenda, no quiet rebellion in the background.
“He is injured and maybe you can make a link between his injury and the situation. But for me, he is honest and I have no problem with that. I spoke with him this morning about that, yesterday about that, too. And we just want him on the pitch.”
Waiting for the window to close
Sage did not try to dress up the transfer window as anything other than a disruptive spell for clubs and players alike.
“Football is like this now, we know when it is the transfer window that there is a lot of noise, a lot of stuff for the player,” he said. “Maybe some of them are not really comfortable with this situation – and their agent, too, their family. That’s why it is not really a good period when you are inside in a club, but you know when it is finished we will only be concerned with our performances. We just have to wait for that.”
For now, Sage’s stance is clear. Sarr is injured, under contract and expected to remain a Crystal Palace player. The medical room, not the transfer market, will decide when he is seen again in a Palace shirt.
“For the moment, the most important thing is to understand the player is not able to play and is in treatment,” Sage said. “And what happens with his potential future is really far from me.”
