Gary O'Neil has praised summer signing Emersonn for adapting quickly to the Premier League as Ipswich Town prepare for their trip to Crystal Palace. The head coach also confirmed a near fully-fit squad for Saturday's match at Selhurst Park, with key players returning to training.
Ipswich sit 14th in the Premier League with three points from their opening three games. Their next challenge is a visit to 13th-placed Palace, a fixture that offers a chance to bounce back from consecutive league defeats.
Emersonn's impressive start
The 22-year-old forward, signed in the summer, scored on his competitive debut in the season opener against Sunderland. O'Neil admitted he expected a longer adaptation period for the player at the top level. "I expected Emmy to take a while to get going, especially at Premier League level," O'Neil said. "He's done exceptionally well." The manager added that he has been "really impressed" by the new arrival's early contributions.
Squad fitness boost
O'Neil reported that Jaden Philogene, who scored 13 goals in all competitions last season, is ready to start after returning to full training. Azor Matusiwa is also back in training but is likely to be among the substitutes. Only Jack Taylor was not in full training ahead of the match. The manager credited the players and staff for the squad's condition. "We've had a tough pre-season, some tough games, a cup game in the middle, so to go to Crystal Palace with basically a fully fit squad is a sign of the work that's been done by the players to get themselves in good shape and by the medical and fitness team," O'Neil said.
Palace threat
O'Neil highlighted the quality of Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, calling him an "unbelievable talent" and a "fantastic passer of the ball". He stated that dealing with Wharton will be part of what Ipswich needs to do in the match. The manager also noted that winning in European competition, which Ipswich achieved last season, requires good players throughout the squad.
Ipswich's recent form shows three wins and two losses from their last five matches across all competitions. The match against Crystal Palace kicks off at 15:00 BST on Saturday.
