I will have to test Jesurun Rak-Sakyi more in the league – Palace boss Patrick Vieira

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira admits he will need to put Jesurun Rak-Sakyi through his paces in the Premier League to discover what he is capable of.

Rak-Sakyi made his Premier League debut for the South Londoners on the opening day of the season, when Vieira introduced the 19-year-old winger in the 76th minute during a 3-0 loss to Chelsea.

Sakyi was part of the Eagles’ team that traveled to Wembley Stadium for their FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea.

He began his career in the Chelsea junior system before joining Crystal Palace in 2019.

“We have a good idea about their potential and what they can do.

“They have spent a lot of time in training with the first team, and between them, they have played some games in the FA Cup or the league.

“We need to test those players. When to do it? that will be the question, but we will need to see what they are capable of doing.”

In response to whether the choice to keep Rak-Sakyi at Selhurst Park for the remainder of the season appeared to be the proper one, Vieira added:

“He is really a special talent – he has got the potential to perform at a high level.

“But as a football club, we need to create that pathway to allow him to go to the next step.

“That may be him staying with us, or it may be him going out on loan, but it’s too early to make that decision.

“We will need to sit and try and make the best decision to allow him to keep progressing.”