Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure set for return after almost 20 months out | OneFootball

Cheick Doucoure is set to make his first senior appearance in almost 20 months for Crystal Palace, with a possible run-out in the Carabao Cup against Middlesbrough on Tuesday.

According to NY Times, manager Pierre Sage said the Mali international will be involved, marking his first outing since the 2-0 win over Leicester City on January 15, 2025.

The midfielder has endured long spells out over the past three years, rupturing his Achilles in a 2-1 defeat by Luton Town in November 2023, returning for 13 games, then tearing his meniscus in January last year.

He featured for the Under-21s late last season and came through pre-season unscathed. Palace’s player of the year in 2022-23 in his debut season, he drew Liverpool interest that summer before setbacks stalled his progress.

Sage said Doucoure’s smile on learning he would rejoin the group on Saturday was remarkable, likening it to being handed $1 million. He added the plan is for the midfielder to play briefly on Tuesday.

The head coach signalled minor tweaks rather than wholesale changes, noting heavy rotation can harm coordination. He also wants to reward early-season commitment in training, while stressing Palace aim to win the tie.

Evann Guessand and Dwight McNeil were omitted from the 3-2 win over Fulham as a sports decision, and Guessand was left out of the Europa League squad. Sage said he was unhappy with their cameos against Manchester City, urged a response in training, and said they could return on Tuesday.

Source: NY Times

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