Leicester City vs Crystal Palace - Ranieri tells Bartosz Kapustka he must bide his time
Posted Friday, October 21, 2016 by PA
Bartosz Kapustka has been told he must continue to work hard and bide his time as he awaits his chance to impress at Leicester.
The Poland international midfielder, who played in all four of his country's games at Euro 2016, has yet to make his senior debut for the Premier League champions since his B#7.5million summer move from Cracovia back in his homeland.
He has featured in only two match-day squads, in the opening Premier League game at Hull and the EFL Cup defeat to Chelsea, but never came off the bench and the 19-year-old has played just a handful of matches for the Under-23 side.
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri wants to give Kapustka, and fellow summer signing Ahmed Musa, plenty of time to adapt to English football but he believes both players will prove valuable additions for the Foxes, even if they are not ready just yet.
"He is more or less the same as Musa. Both are very fast and very strong but they have to understand the Premier League," said Ranieri, whose side return to Premier League action at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
"Every match in the Premier League is a very tough match in a very tough league and I want them more strong in the duels and the tackles. It is just about understanding the tempo but we have a very good future with them.
"Will he play soon? No. But now it is difficult for me to say 'go with the youth team' because I look at him in the training sessions and he's better, better, better.
"It is important because the players have to answer just on the pitch. If the manager doesn't choose you you have to be strong and continue to fight. If you slow down you make my job easier because I'm not sad.
"I will say 'if you don't train well I can't choose you, that's it'. But it is difficult because everybody is training well without pain, but I want these kind of difficulties."
Ranieri will check on the fitness of captain Wes Morgan (hip), midfielder Andy King (shin) and striker Jamie Vardy (groin) before finalising his plans for the visit of Palace.
All three players are nursing knocks following the Champions League victory against Copenhagen on Tuesday night but Ranieri, who on Thursday celebrated his 65th birthday, thinks they should all be available.
Palace manager Alan Pardew believes Christian Benteke remains the right player to take penalties.
The 25-year-old striker missed a penalty in the 1-0 defeat against West Ham last weekend - his second miss from the spot this season.
Pardew sat down with Benteke after the defeat to discuss the penalty and, while he subsequently decided to keep the Belgian on penalty duty, he warned he has to "make sure" he scores his next spot-kick.
"We had some conflicting opinions on the penalty which you would do," Pardew said.
"I have great faith in him. I think it is important that your striker continues to score goals.
"I have always encouraged my centre forward to take penalties and there is a reason for that.
"When they have a patch when they are not scoring and a penalty comes along, suddenly they can get their rhythm back.
"Christian isn't in a hole at the moment but he just got it wrong. It happens.
"We have to accept it but he has to make sure he scores the next one."
The Foxes have faced some criticism for their form in the league so far this season and lie 13th in the table having won just two games but Pardew does not believe they are a side in trouble.
"Winning their first three Champions League games, they look like they are really struggling don't they?" he joked.
"I think (their league form) is natural. They will certainly finish in the top-eight even from the position they are in.
"They have had an unbelievable season, they are attacking the Champions League which you would expect and their league form has dipped a little bit.
"They won the league because they have character in the dressing room and that character will come through."
Defender Scott Dann is expected to be back in the squad after a hamstring injury.
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