Cheikhou Kouyate to face showdown talks after post about Idrissa Gueye's LGBT+ stance

Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira plans to speak to midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate about his gesture of support for Paris Saint-Germain's Idrissa Gueye in a row about anti-discrimination shirts

Patrick Vieira will hold showdown talks with Cheikhou Kouyate after he appeared to support countryman Idrissa Gueye in a rainbow shirt row.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Gueye, a devout Muslim, refused to play in Saturday's 4-0 win over Montpellier - when his team wore special anti-discrimination jerseys.

And Vieira wants to know why Crystal Palace star Kouyate seemed to back his Senegal team-mate's stance with a controversial Instagram message calling him "a real man." Kouyate's post, which is no longer visible, also said: "We wholeheartedly support you brother."

Eagles boss Vieira said: "I will speak to him and try to understand what he means by that. I will support anything when it comes to being anti-discrimination. So if I have to wear the shirt, I personally will do it. There is a lot of noise. I have been reading the news. I have not seen any kind of statement from PSG. Or any kind of statement from the players. People are assuming.

"So before we get into any conclusions we have to be sure about what we are talking about before creating something really negative. What is clear from myself and the football club is that we are supporting Cheikhou and we are fighting and against any kind of discrimination. This is the bottom line.”

Watford's Ismaila Sarr also appeared to back his Senegal team-mate's stance, posting an Instagram snap of himself next to Gueye with a fist emoji, three hearts and the words: "100 per cent". The incident occurred just before Blackpool's Jake Daniels became the first openly gay player in the UK.

Meanwhile, Vieira claims Palace's impressive performances with a three-man defence show proves they can be much more tactically adaptable in future. He said: “This is something that we will take into next season. It’s quite interesting to have this kind of flexibility. Every time we play this season, I felt that the players feel comfortable to play that system as well. It’s always good to have these kinds of options. What is important for me is that choosing one or the other, the players feel comfortable to play.

"It’s always about trying to find the right balance between attacking and defending,” he explained. “We managed to score a couple of goals, but I think we should score much more. On the other side, defensively, we are more solid because our front players are doing their part. Collectively that makes us more strong. Wilfried Zaha is the perfect example. The way he works out of possession helps us to be more positive as a team. We need to take this into next season and try to be a little bit stronger.”