Patrick Vieira has admitted that the lengthy delay between matches has been a challenge for his side, but praised the focus and dedication of his players to prepare for Saturday’s game against Chelsea.
“Training has been challenging, because the last time we played a competitive game was quite a while ago,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “It was a challenge to keep the players focused.
“But we are looking forward to the game. We will face one of the best teams in the Premier League and we will be ready for that.
“We worked well in the last couple of weeks and we will be ready to compete.”
Vieira was determined to emphasise fitness over the prolonged break.
“[We were] working hard and trying to get the physical side of the game, keeping it higher,” he explained. “Of course, when you don’t play games it is quite difficult to keep that physical attribute, but I was really pleased with the concentration and the work ethic of the players.
“It is challenging when you work hard all week and there is no game. There is a frustration there, but I was really pleased with how the players kept working.”
Palace will be the first Premier League opponent for Graham Potter at Chelsea, a novelty which has made preparation for the game more challenging.
“We just look at what he has been doing at Brighton, and analysing the first game [Chelsea] played in the Champions League,” Vieira said. “Seeing if there is something we can take to allow ourselves to perform in a better way.
“When a manager works well for a couple of years, he deserves a chance in one of the top teams. When you look at his record in the last couple of years, he’s been doing fantastically well with Brighton and today he’s with Chelsea.
“I wish him all the best – after the game on Saturday.”
