Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira sets Nathan Ferguson first-team return target

Patrick Vieira has set Nathan Ferguson the target of being able to compete for a spot in his Crystal Palace first team after the World Cup.

The 22-year-old has only played eight senior minutes of professional football for the club since signing from West Brom in July 2020. The Eagles are believed to have paid £900,000, a fee decided by a tribunal, to the Baggies for the defender.

Ferguson’s only minutes in a Palace first-team shirt came in the 3-0 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur last season. He would suffer a hamstring injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Portsmouth after his Palace debut.

He played 11 minutes as a substitute in the 4-2 pre-season win over Montpellier, but he suffered a foot injury following the game, which has ruled him out since the start of the season.

Ferguson rejoined Patrick Vieira’s first-team squad this week to take part in full training. The Premier League is set to return on December 26th after the break for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

“He’s been good, training all week with the team,” explained Vieira ahead of the trip to face Frank Lampard’s Everton.

“When he has a couple of weeks under his belt, he can start playing games.

“We have to manage his minutes and training load. After the winter break, what we really want is for him to be ready to compete and play.”

Summer signing Cheick Doucoure is suspended for the trip to Goodison Park after collecting five yellow cards in his opening 10 starts, which could lead to club captain Luka Milivojevic making his first start this season.

All of Milivojevic’s appearances in the Premier League this season have been from the bench.

“Luka has been really good. He is a professional – he is training really well and really hard every day,” said Vieria when asked how the former Olympiacos midfielder has dealt with having limited game time.

“He is competing for the starting 11. With Cheick not being available for the game tomorrow, I will have different options. 

“Will Hughes is one of them, and Jeff Schlupp played in that position during the friendlies, so we have different options on the table.”

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD