Cheick Doucoure is on the verge of making his long-awaited return to senior action when Crystal Palace welcome Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
The midfielder has endured a difficult few years plagued by injury setbacks. After suffering a serious Achilles rupture in late 2023, Doucoure finally returned following a lengthy recovery period, only to suffer another setback when he damaged his meniscus in January 2025.
However, after enjoying a consistent run during pre-season, the 27-year-old is now ready to step back into competitive first-team football.
Palace head coach Pierre Sage has confirmed that Doucoure is expected to feature at Selhurst Park, bringing an end to a frustrating wait of more than 600 days since his last appearance for the club.
“When I told him he would be with us today (Saturday), his smile was incredible,” Sage said ahead of the match.
“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.”
Doucoure’s comeback provides a major boost for Palace, who are currently dealing with several injury concerns, including absences for Chadi Riad and Jean-Philippe Mateta, while Ismaila Sarr is also unavailable.
Despite the number of fitness issues within the squad, Sage has insisted he will field a strong team against Middlesbrough rather than making widespread changes.
Evann Guessand and Dwight McNeil were both omitted from the squad for Palace’s victory over Fulham last weekend, with Sage hoping the decision will motivate the pair to raise their performances.
“They were not in the squad because I was not happy with their performance when they came on the pitch against Manchester City,” Sage explained.
“It’s my decision. Sometimes the players have to be shaken to regain their level. It’s only one game.”