The Eagles play seven times between 10th and 31st October – averaging a game every three days – encompassing two UEFA Europa League away days, four Premier League fixtures and a Carabao Cup Round of 32 tie.
Indeed, the next time Palace will be without a midweek fixture will be during the next international window in mid-November – a month away.
In the next week alone, the Eagles will host a Nottingham Forest side led by former manager Oliver Glasner; travel to Olympique Lyonnais to face Sage’s former club in midweek; and then travel to traditional rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, third in the early league table.
But Sage refuses to allow his thoughts to drift beyond the visit of Forest – 13th after five Premier League matches – to Selhurst Park on Sunday.
“It’s step by step,” the Manager said in his embargoed pre-match press conference.
“And as I said when we spoke about our journey, I think we have to be really focused on the first game because the message and the feeling and the team spirit of the first game will influence the second, and the second will influence the third.
“We have to do that not in the way that we have a big week, but only to be focused on the first game – and the first game and a good performance could help us to have good performances in the end.
“It's really important to believe in this kind of thing, because we spoke a lot about confidence and I think the confidence builds with the good performances and the good results. That's why the first game is really important.”