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Crystal Palace are finally ready to bring Cheick Doucoure back into senior competitive football after a punishing 20-month recovery spell. The Mali international has been through a nightmare period with major injuries, but manager Pierre Sage has now confirmed that he will be involved in the club’s upcoming Carabao Cup match.

The long road back for Doucoure

Crystal Palace midfielder Doucoure is in line to make his first senior appearance in almost 20 months, bringing an agonising spell on the sidelines to an end. The 26-year-old, who was named the club’s Player of the Year in his debut 2022-23 campaign, has seen his progress halted by back-to-back long-term injury problems. Doucoure first suffered a ruptured Achilles in a 2-1 defeat to Luton Town in November 2023, and after battling back to make 13 appearances, he was then hit by a torn meniscus in January last year.

After showing his fitness with the Under-21 side at the end of last season and completing a full pre-season programme without any setbacks, the former Lens player is finally prepared to return to the first-team fold. His absence has been a significant setback for the Eagles, particularly as he had been a major target for Liverpool in the summer of 2023 before his injury troubles started.

Sage reveals Doucoure emotion

Manager Pierre Sage spoke of his happiness at being able to call on the midfielder once again, pointing to the player’s infectious excitement when he was given the news. Speaking before the cup tie, Sage said Doucoure’s joy in training was plain to see. “When I told him he would be with us today, his smile was incredible,” the Frenchman told reporters. “I think his reaction was as if I gave him $1million. I like this kind of reaction because that’s for me the start of how we play football, how we love this game and the only thing he wanted is to come back with the team. This is the first step and he will play a little bit on Tuesday for sure.”

Sage confirmed that Doucoure will feature in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third-round clash against Middlesbrough, a game that would be the Mali international’s first competitive outing since a 2-0 win over Leicester City on January 15, 2025. The manager’s comments underline just how important the midfielder’s return could be for morale within the squad as Palace look to gather momentum in the early part of the season.

Balanced approach to rotation

Although Sage wants to hand minutes to returning players such as Doucoure, he is also cautious about making too many alterations to his starting XI. The Palace manager admitted he is usually careful about upsetting the team’s rhythm, even in cup matches.

The manager stressed that Crystal Palace plan to treat the Carabao Cup seriously this season, with the aim of going deep into the tournament. “I’m not really fond of big rotations because every time I did that I’m unhappy at the end of the game, not especially with the result but sometimes with the (lack of) coordination of the players. But at the beginning of the season we have to respect all the commitment of all players during the session and it’s maybe the opportunity for them to show it,” he added. “We have to win this game because we are ambitious in this competition too and that’s not only about rotation.”

Palace aim to build on trophy-laden years

Palace have made an uneven start to the Premier League season and are currently 13th in the table after one win and two defeats. The Eagles will be keen to settle things down and rediscover the form that delivered notable silverware over the last two seasons, having won the FA Cup in 2024-25, the FA Community Shield in 2025, and the UEFA Conference League title last term.

After their cup fixture, Palace will switch focus back to domestic action when they welcome Ipswich Town, as they chase consecutive Premier League wins following a hard-earned 3-2 victory over Fulham on Saturday.