Crystal Palace Forwards: Sarr and Mateta's Uncertain Futures

At Crystal Palace right now, the noise around the forwards is almost louder than anything happening on the pitch.

Ismaila Sarr has yet to feature under new boss Pierre Sage. Officially, it’s a groin problem. Unofficially, there’s a sense of damage done and bridges burned after a summer dominated by Liverpool talk and an exit that never arrived.

Sarr is training on his own, away from the main group. That much is clear. The rest? Less so.

Clinton Morrison, the former Palace striker, admits even he is struggling to piece it all together. Speaking to GOAL, he laid out the confusion around a saga that has left fans divided over whether the winger is genuinely sidelined or simply sulking.

“I don't know what's going on because I just thought he genuinely did have an injury,” Morrison said. “And I think the manager has come out and said he's got an injury. He's training individually. He's not ready to train with the squad.”

The Liverpool angle hangs over everything. Once a club like that calls, players rarely think straight again. Morrison understands the temptation, but not the way the situation has unfolded.

“I get it. Liverpool come in for you, you want to move. But go about it the right way because eventually you will get the move. That's what I've always said to people.”

Palace’s line is simple: Sarr is injured. Morrison backs that version.

“At the moment, Palace say he's injured. So I believe what Palace say because I know people there. He's injured. He's training individually. So we'll wait and see.”

The suspicion from some is that Sarr downed tools when the move fell through. Morrison accepts the disappointment but points to examples inside the same dressing room of players who handled similar setbacks very differently.

“If people are thinking he's not training because he wanted to get his move - yeah, he's disappointed he didn't get his move. But Marc Guehi, loads of times he didn't get his move. [Eberechi] Eze didn't get his move. Eventually, you'll get your move. Handle the situation differently.”

The message is blunt: Palace’s chairman is not the villain here. Timing is.

“And I know one thing, the chairman will let you have that move for sure. But because you come in so late with the bid, the chairman can't afford the top goalscorer to leave the football club and leave the club hanging on by a thread to stay in the Premier League. They've got to look after themselves.”

That late approach from Liverpool may yet define Sarr’s short-term future. Wait too long, and the door might slam shut for good.

“So if someone wants to move to Liverpool, he can't just sit there and wait because Liverpool might go, ‘well, we're going to get [Yankuba] Minteh’, who is a younger player. His move to Liverpool might not happen. What he should do is get back fit for Palace, score goals and then prove to people. And then in January, if everything's all right, he might get that move.”

The problem for Sarr is that Liverpool have not exactly stood still. They remain keen on Brighton winger Minteh and have already thrown serious money and faith at their attacking options. A £123 million Champions League winner, Bradley Barcola, arrived in the summer, along with Spanish prospect Victor Munoz. Cody Gakpo stayed put, while 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha is being lined up for more regular minutes.

So will Sarr still be on their radar when the window reopens?

Morrison isn’t convinced he’s the priority.

“I know they want a right-sided player. And their number one was Minteh. And Brighton knocked them back. They offered £65 million.

“I know Sarr wants that move there - I get it, it's Liverpool Football Club. Everyone will want to go to Liverpool. But the move's not happened now. And the best thing to do is get your head down, get fit and play a big part in Palace doing well this season.”

While Sarr’s story rumbles on, another frontman has dragged Palace into the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Jean-Philippe Mateta, the powerful French striker, is locked in a contract row after claiming the 12-month extension triggered in his deal is invalid. This, remember, is a player who almost joined AC Milan in January and has already lived through one dramatic near-move.

Morrison, who knows Mateta personally, sounds baffled by the latest twist.

“I don't get that with JP. And I know him really well. So it's a strange one. I feel like he's being badly advised. It’s as simple as that, he's a good person. I've got a lot of time for JP. And I feel like he's getting badly advised.”

Mateta is currently injured but expected back within weeks. When he does return, Morrison is adamant his commitment on the pitch will not be in question.

“But one thing with JP is he's injured at the moment. He should be back in a week or a couple of weeks. When he's back, he'll give his all for that club. As you saw last season, when there was a lot of noise, he'd be leaving, could have gone to AC Milan. Obviously, it didn't happen with the medical. Came back, scored the goal in the Europa Conference League final.”

For now, Palace fans are left watching two of their key attackers making headlines without kicking a ball.

“So obviously, there's two players that Palace fans are probably frustrated with at the moment - Sarr and Mateta. But I still think they are two players that will have a big impact for the club when they come back.”

If Morrison is right, the same players causing the headaches now might yet be the ones who decide how far Palace can climb by the end of the season.