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Sage on injuries, Mateta's form and attacking improvements
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- Sage on injuries, Mateta's form and attacking improvements
Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League game against Hoffenheim at Selhurst Park (kick-off 17:45 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
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Quinten Timber and Jorgen Strand Larsen, who have both been out injured since Crystal Palace's 2-2 draw with Besiktas , will be ready to play.
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Takehiro Tomiyasu will not return to action before the November international break. Ismaila Sarr is managing an ongoing groin problem. Chadi Riad is continuing his rehabilitation for a long-term knee injury.
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Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has scored one goal in five appearances this season, "wants to change things" after picking up a straight red card and a three-game domestic suspension last time out.
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Sage said it is "exciting" and "a good thing" to be competing in four different competitions this season, despite this being their eighth match in 25 days.
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He added: "The process of preparation is always the same. The difference is the time we have to prepare before the games. We have managed three training sessions before this game, which is really important because we need time to work in our situation."
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The "most important thing" is coming away from this fixture with three points and moving closer to qualifying for the knockout rounds.
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On what he has been working on with his players: "We are trying to improve offensively, especially in the way we play through the back of our opponents' last line. We didn't attack the way we had decided beforehand in our past two games, so that's why we have gone back over it."
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Sage also recognised that Crystal Palace's results are "not at the level at the moment", but he stood firm in his belief that "with time and hard work" the results will improve.
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He added: "When you believe in your work and you give your best every day, consequently you believe you will get the results. If we, as staff and players, didn't give our life to this every day then I wouldn't be optimistic, but I see it."
