Pierre Sage faces a crucial next two games for his future as Crystal Palace head coach, with pressure mounting on the Frenchman.

Sage, 47, was appointed at Selhurst Park four months ago and admitted after the 5-0 defeat by rivals Brighton at the weekend that he does not know whether he will be given time to turn around results.

It is understood this weekend’s home Premier League fixture against Newcastle United, three days after facing Besiktas in the Europa League, could be a big factor in whether Palace look to make a change.

Palace appointed Sage in June after working from a shortlist that included ex-Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank, who is working on Uefa’s Technical Observer Group.

Frank is highly regarded among other Premier League teams after his seven years at Brentford and it remains to be seen which football project can tempt him back to the dugout.

Vítor Pereira is also expected to be on the shortlist of clubs looking for a new manager in the next months after his work at Wolves and Nottingham Forest, keeping them both up and also reaching the Europa League semi-final last season.

While the next international break is a natural time for clubs to assess their situation, Sage faces an important next six days following the thrashing by Brighton, which he took full responsibility for.

This weekend they will be facing a Newcastle team who have been beaten heavily by Leeds United and Coventry City in the last month, and winning against Matthias Jaissle’s team would mean Sage could boast back-to-back home wins.

Sage, who signed a three-year deal in the summer, issued an apology to fans and said he felt “shame” after the loss. He was appointed on the back of a second-placed finish in Ligue 1 with Lens, for which he was crowned the manager of the year.