Tyrick Mitchell will be hoping to continue to build on the promising start to his Crystal Palace career as he prepares to come up against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
The Eagles travel to recently-relegated Bournemouth in the second round of the Carabao Cup, with the winner at the Vitality Stadium travelling to holders Manchester City in round three.
Mitchell, 21, made his first-team debut in July and is one player likely to retain his place from the Palace side that opened the Premier League season with a 1-0 win over Southampton on Saturday.
Speaking after the game, Mitchell said each appearance is helping him become more confident as he looks to make the left-back slot at Selhurst Park his own.
“I feel every game I am getting more confident, more positive when I play,” he told the club’s official website.
“It was a weird one, before I was just there training but after playing a couple of matches and being on the bench so many times I actually feel like part of the squad and it is a good feeling, especially going into the matches it is a confidence booster.”
While manager Roy Hodgson admits he will shuffle his pack on the south coast, he does not have many options in defence due to a host of injuries.
But he was full of praise for Mitchell – as well as Scott Dann, Cheikhou Kouyate and Joel Ward – for keeping Saints at bay.
“We thought he looked good but he got injured so a lot of his time last season was spent injured, he got fit again just before the Covid lockdown,” Hodgson said of Mitchell.
“He was lucky enough to get back in towards the end of the season, has been excellent in all the pre-season games and he seems to be becoming more and more comfortable.
“I thought he dealt with them (Southampton) as did the whole back four, we talk a lot about the back players we have got out injured but we should really be speaking about how well this back four is doing for us.”
Palace face a tough trip to Manchester United next weekend, looking to make it back to back wins at Old Trafford following a 2-1 success last year.
With Hodgson currently unable to call on Patrick van Aanholt, Mamadou Sakho, James Tomkins, Gary Cahill, Connor Wickham, Christian Benteke, Jairo Riedewald or Nathan Ferguson he admits he is down to the bare bone and can ill-afford any further injury setbacks.
“I am concerned how this group of players who have done so well for me, this 11 and the substitutes, how they will carry on if we get further injuries,” he added.
“If you could guarantee these guys will get through the next four games and we will have the same team as we had (against Southampton) I don’t think it is a major problem, but I am concerned
we don’t have enough quality and bodies behind us to cover further injuries or suspension.”
