Crystal Palace’s Ismaïla Sarr to miss Fulham clash after failed transfer

Ismaïla Sarr will miss Crystal Palace’s Premier League trip to Fulham on Saturday after manager Pierre Sage confirmed that the Senegal international remains unavailable.

Sarr has yet to make his first Premier League appearance of the season and will have to wait longer for his return to competitive action with Palace.

The 28-year-old forward is currently dealing with an injury and will not be involved when Crystal Palace travel to Craven Cottage for their third Premier League match of the campaign.

Sage confirmed Sarr’s absence during his pre-match press conference, explaining that the Senegalese winger still needs time before he can return to the team.

The Palace manager said the former Ligue 1 coach added that the Senegalese international “needed time to recover.”

Sarr’s continued absence comes after a summer dominated by uncertainty over his future at the club. The Senegal forward had been involved in a prolonged transfer saga, with a proposed move to Liverpool ultimately failing to materialise.

Despite the failed transfer, Sarr has not yet returned to the Palace squad, with his injury now preventing him from featuring against Fulham.

There is also uncertainty over whether his absence is solely related to his physical condition. While Sage confirmed that Sarr is injured, the circumstances surrounding his return have added another layer to a difficult period for the forward.

Sarr was Palace’s leading scorer last season and had made his desire to leave the club known during the summer.

However, Palace’s management worked to retain the Senegal international, with the club ultimately keeping him beyond the transfer window.

The situation has left Sarr facing a difficult start to the new campaign. After being linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, he now remains on the sidelines as Palace prepare for their meeting with Fulham.

For Sage, the immediate concern is Sarr’s fitness, with the manager indicating that the player needs additional time to recover before he can return to action.

Sarr will therefore have to wait beyond Saturday for his first Premier League appearance of the season.

The Senegalese forward’s absence means Palace will face Fulham without one of their most important attacking players from last season, while attention will remain on when he is able to return to the squad following a summer in which his future was heavily debated.