Pierre Sage ‘fed up’ with Crystal Palace star as January exit threat emerges

Numbers undermine the narrative that Evann Guessand has been a driving force at Selhurst Park: so far in 2026–27 he has made two Premier League appearances totalling 54 minutes and has been left out of recent Europa League and league squads. 

That limited involvement sits uneasily next to reported valuations and the idea Palace should have spent big to keep him.

Despite Palace’s upbeat welcome in August, recent match and selection data show Guessand has not featured regularly under Pierre Sage. A quick look at the sstats of Guessand’s 2026–27 season shows two Premier League appearances with 27 minutes in each match (total 54′), then three consecutive league matchday entries where he was marked “Not in squad” (Fulham 5 Sept, Ipswich 12 Sept, Leeds 20 Sept). The same source lists him as not included in Palace’s Europa League squad for the 17 Sept group game against Lech Poznań.

Date	Match	Score
22 Aug 2026	Everton v Crystal Palace	2–0
28 Aug 2026	Crystal Palace v Manchester City	1–4
5 Sept 2026	Fulham v Crystal Palace	2–3
12 Sept 2026	Crystal Palace v Ipswich	2–3
20 Sept 2026	Leeds v Crystal Palace	0–0

Those selection facts underpin the sceptical editorial position advanced here. Media reporting has amplified an argument that Guessand is on thin ice: former chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider he had doubts about Guessand’s application and that Pierre Sage is “fed up” (reported by CaughtOffside). Palace’s manager himself was quoted as blunt about recent omissions: “They (Guessand and Dwight McNeil) were not in the squad because I was not happy with their performance when they came on the pitch against Manchester City. It’s my decision, a sports decision.” (reported by WeArePalace).

There is counter-evidence: Guessand’s record from last season and earlier shows impact moments. In 2025–26 he made eight league appearances for Palace and scored once on that loan spell; his wider career record includes goals and assists at Nice and a reported transfer to Aston Villa for around (£30.5m) with reporting referenced a reported £28m option in his Palace loan paperwork — figures that do not line up cleanly. Presenting all of them as reported helps explain why fans and commentators have contested how much Palace should commit to him permanently.

“It’s been a far-from-ideal start for Evann Guessand in his second Crystal Palace loan, having been left out of the Europa League squad and the team that travelled to Fulham at the weekend.” — John Townley, Sep 7 (tweet text reproduced for attribution)

What the available numbers show: limited minutes in 26/27 (two league appearances, 54 minutes), omissions from recent matchday squads and the Europa League list, plus divergent reported valuations (reported loan option ~£28m). Those facts weaken claims that Guessand has already earned a high-price permanent move or that he has been a central figure in Palace’s recent success.