Bryan Gil will be hoping to be back on the training pitch at Hotspur Way very soon as he looks to make a huge impression on new boss Antonio Conte.
Handed a start by former head coach Nuno Espirito Santo in the recent Carabao Cup tie at Burnley, the 20-year-old was only on the pitch for 25 minutes after sustaining an injury early on at Turf Moor.
Yet to return to action since picking up the issue in the 1-0 win in Lancashire, Gil has had to watch on from the sidelines in Conte’s first two matches in charge of the Lilywhites, with Ryan Sessegnon also in the same boat as him.
The injury has unfortunately come at exactly the wrong time for the summer signing, as it has stopped him working under the new boss and catching his eye right away as the Italian gets his Tottenham plans in place.
Not called up for international duty this month by Spain with his injury ruling him out, the attacker now has the next fortnight to work with Conte and his coaching staff, providing that he can work his way back to fitness.
As a number of the squad have jetted off across the globe to represent their country in the latest set of international fixtures, 11 of the first team have remained at Hotspur Way after not receiving call-ups.
That means Conte can really get to know those staying in the capital and it also gives those players the perfect opportunity to make an impression on him.
A player rated extremely highly by managing director of football Fabio Paratici following his decision to sign him from Sevilla this summer, the Spaniard will no doubt be someone Conte also admires due to his many qualities.
(Image: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Gil may have only played a total of 57 minutes across his five Premier League appearances this term but it is in the Europa Conference League where he has made an impression on Spurs fans.
Capable of playing on either wing, Espirito Santo did utilise him centrally for the play-off return leg against Pacos de Ferreira and he duly registered an assist following an impressive showing in the comfortable 3-0 win.
Again catching the eye in September’s 5-1 win over NS Mura, Gil was one of the very few bright spots in last month’s 1-0 defeat away at Vitesse as he looked bright and went close to opening the scoring with an effort that struck the crossbar.
So far opting for a 3-4-3 formation in his first two games in charge of Tottenham, it remains to be seen where exactly Gil will fit into Conte’s system going forward.
On the right of a front three would be the obvious choice but Spurs are blessed with plenty of options to start there as Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn, Gil and even possibly Giovani Lo Celso could all be fighting it out to play alongside Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
Some fans have even pointed to the ex-Sevilla man taking up a position at wing-back due to the qualities in his locker, although the defensive aspect of that role may not be the best for him right now due to his slight frame and the fact he needs to get to grips with the demands of the Premier League.
One position that could suit him down to the ground, however, is playing in the No.10 role if Conte opts to go with a 3-4-1-2 formation rather than 3-4-3.
As Spurs’ lack of creativity was clear for all to see on Sunday at Everton with Jordan Pickford not having anything to do, the Spurs boss may look to tweak his set-up in time for the Leeds United match.
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Tanguy Ndombele and Lo Celso will be the standout candidates to take on the role as they are good on the ball and can pick out a pass in the final third, but Gil could also be a contender for the position once he is back to fitness as Tottenham try to find the perfect formula to unlock Kane and Son.
Having a tendency to drift inside anyway in the games that he’s started out wide for Tottenham, playing him through the middle could be best for all parties as Tottenham now have width from their wing-backs attacking.
Gil, who has dazzling footwork and pace in the bag, showed why he’s rated so highly at home to Pacos when playing in attacking midfield and there’s certainly plenty more to come from him at Tottenham with the more pitch time he gets.
Registering four goals and four assists in his 29 games in a struggling Eibar team last campaign as they were relegated from La Liga, Gil has all the attributes to become a major player in the final third for Tottenham.
The Spaniard has shown glimpses of what’s to come in north London but it could be in Conte’s system when he really makes the Premier League stand up and take notice.