Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage is hopeful that both Dean Henderson and Jean-Philippe Mateta will be fit for their Premier League opener.
The Eagles will kick off the new season with a trip to face Everton. It will be Sage’s first Premier League match, however he may be without Henderson. The England international picked up a knock in their final pre-season fixture.
“He had a little twist in his ankle,” revealed the Palace boss. “We want him to play. But we gave him a few days of treatment to allow him to be in his best shape.
“He will train today with the goalkeeping coaches and we will take the decision tomorrow. But we are hopeful he is able to play.
“Everybody else can play and I have to make some choices. This is the job and it’s a good problem for me.
“I like this, because when I have choices I can anticipate certain scenarios and I have a lot of options.”
There had also been doubts over the fitness of striker Mateta. The France international missed Palace’s final pre-season fixture. However, Sage believes he will be ready for the start of the season.
The French manager explained: “I think he will be involved on Saturday. He didn’t play the last game because he only came at the beginning of that week.
“It was not a game to take risk. But we can now give him more minutes.”
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