Palace defender going through a ‘difficult period’ – but backed to come through it by Patrick Vieira

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira says that Tyrick Mitchell is going through a “difficult period” but believes he will become a better player for it.

The Eagles academy graduate is the only first-team recognised left-back at Vieira’s disposal and has started every game in the Premier League this season.

Mitchell’s performances this season saw him called up to Gareth Southgate’s last England squad, earning his first appearance against Switzerland and his first start against Ivory Coast.

But the 22-year-old was dispossessed by Cesar Azpilicueta for Chelsea’s first goal in the 2-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat at Wembley.

And last time out against Newcastle United, Miguel Almiron skipped past Mitchell, held the left-back off, and curled a shot past Vicente Guaita.

When asked what his message was to Mitchell ahead of the final six games of the season, Vieira explained: “I don’t have a special message for him. He is a young player who has been playing a lot of football, and he’s been doing really for us a football club.

“He is going through a difficult period, but those periods will make him an even better player.

“During your career, it can be at the start, it can be in the middle, or it can be at the end, you will go through a difficult period, but it is about how you manage those difficult periods.

“The best way we can is with his team-mates, myself, my staff and the club to support him.

“There is no doubt about the way that we see him as a player and as a person. There is nothing that we have to focus him more [on] – we will keep working with him as we have always been working with him.

“When I arrived, the conversation that I had with Dougie [Freedman] and the chairman was always clear – Tyrick had the potential to be the first choice in that position.

“We wanted to give him that position. It was a really good decision – he has not let us down at all.

“Of course, there are still some parts of the game that he needs to improve to be more complete as a player, but he has achieved a lot this year.

“There is still more to come, and I am, and we are really happy with what he has been doing at the moment.”

PICTURE: ROB AVIS