Crystal Palace are set to play Europa League football after winning the Conference League, but Pierre Sage appears to have all but dismissed the prospect of an emotional return for club legend Wilfried Zaha.

The Ivory Coast international, who made his name across two spells at Selhurst Park, has been training with his former club following his exit from Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC.

Zaha, now 33, left Palace in 2023 to pursue Champions League football and joined Turkish side Galatasaray in an effort to realise his ambition of playing in Europe’s elite competition.

He scored against another of his former clubs, Manchester United, on his first start in the tournament, finding the net in Galatasaray’s 3-2 group-stage win at Old Trafford.

He then joined Lyon on a short-term loan in 2024, but that arrangement was ended in January 2025. After that, he moved to the United States on an 18-month loan spell.

He returned to Galatasaray this summer, but was released when his contract expired.

Zaha’s latest situation has now brought him back to south London, where he has been involved with the first-team group at Copers Cope as he looks to secure a deal before the start of the new Premier League season.

Zaha has been hoping to catch the eye of Palace’s new manager, Sage, who succeeded Oliver Glasner after the Austrian left the club.

However, despite the winger’s iconic standing among Palace supporters, Sage has played down the chances of a comeback.

"I am happy to see he has this link with the club and fans but I don’t think that he will stay with us," the Frenchman said before the Eagles’ opening-day trip to Everton.

The south London club have been reasonably busy in the transfer market after losing Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea earlier in the window.

They have brought in players such as Oscar Mingueza and Takehiro Tomiyasu on free transfers, while Dwight McNeil has also joined from Everton, with Brennan Johnson heading to Merseyside in a swap deal.

Young wing-backs Anan Khalaili and Zavier Gozo have arrived from Union Saint-Gilloise and Real Salt Lake respectively.

Evann Guessand has extended his loan from Aston Villa as Sage continues reshaping his squad ahead of the new season.