Vieira outlines approach to League Cup clash with Watford

Speaking to the press after earning a point against Brentford, the Palace manager reiterated his stance for the tournament which begins for Premier League sides on Tuesday night.

“It’s important for us to win football matches,” he said. “To win football matches will give us confidence for the rest of the season. We are at the beginning of the season, players are feeling strong, are feeling good, there are two games before the international break and we will play these two games with the best starting XI I have.

“We will play all the games with the desire to win it; I don’t think we can choose which competition we can go into. As a football club we don’t have this privilege, we have to take one game after the other. The next one is on Tuesday and we will put [out] a strong team to compete.

“It’s important for us to build a momentum, it’s important for us to build our confidence, it’s important for us to win football matches, to win games. Our objective is to win the next one.”

Palace face the Hornets for the second time this month, after beating Xisco Muñoz’s men 3-1 in pre-season. The last time they took on Watford in a knock-out competition was the FA Cup quarter-final – also at Vicarage Road – which the hosts won 2-1.

It is Vieira’s first tournament game for Palace and he will be hoping to progress the Eagles in a stern opening test.

Pressed further on the side he intends to field – and whether the squad will include many Academy prospects – he said:

“The young players need to have a chance obviously but they need to earn it as well. I will use this cup game to build on the confidence. If [on Sunday] and Monday morning every player is available it will be for me to pick the strongest team because we want to compete in this competition.”