Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has to wait until next Sunday to be in the dugout for the first time in the Premier League against Sunderland.
The Italian tactician joined during the international break to replace Igor Tudor in North London, but the Lilywhites were not in action this weekend because of their FA Cup exit.
That is set to give the former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach even more time on the training pitch to prepare the squad for his first game in charge, though, which is a positive outlook on the situation.
Spurs lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest before the international break and need to bounce back with a strong performance to move away from the relegation spots.
De Zerbi could make a host of changes to the XI that Tudor selected against the Tricky Trees, and Dominic Solanke is one of the players who should be dropped.
Why De Zerbi must drop Solanke for Spurs
The England international should be dropped from the starting line-up by the Italian boss because he has failed to deliver consistent performances in front of goal this season, and throughout his time at the club.
Since signing from Bournemouth for a club-record fee of £65m, Solanke has scored 12 goals in 39 appearances in the Premier League for the Lilywhites, including one goal in his last seven matches.
In the 2024/25 campaign, the English marksman scored nine goals from 10.97 xG in the top-flight, which speaks to how wasteful he has been in front of goal during his Spurs career so far.
Whilst there have been moments of magic, such as his scorpion kick goal against Manchester City, the lack of consistency from the club-record signing is a concern moving forward.
That is why De Zerbi should be looking at alternatives within the squad to play for the rest of the season, before potentially using the summer transfer window to bolster the firepower in the team.
The Spurs teen who could be their next Harry Kane
There is a young player in the academy set-up at Spurs who could be unleashed as De Zerbi's own version of Harry Kane to come in and instantly replace Solanke.
Kane, of course, came through the academy system with the Lilywhites before going on to score 280 goals in 435 appearances for the club before his move to Bayern Munich, leaving Tottenham as their record goalscorer.
Now, 18-year-old centre-forward Mason Melia could follow in his footsteps if De Zerbi decides to bring him into the first-team fold to replace Solanke in the coming weeks.
The Ireland U21 international officially joined from St. Patrick's in the January transfer window and scored three minutes into his U21 debut on Saturday against West Ham United.
Melia was in the right place at the right time to find the back of the net, a trait that all good centre-forwards have, and his senior goal record to date is further evidence of his ability to position himself well.
The 18-year-old marksman scored 25 goals in 98 games for St. Patrick's at senior level, despite only turning 18 in September 2025, and he scored 13 goals in 29 league starts in the 2025 campaign.
For context, Kane had scored five goals in 18 games on loan at Leyton Orient at first-team level by the time that he turned 18, which means that Melia is more experienced and has scored more goals than the England captain had at the same age.
A return of 13 goals in 35 league games for St. Patrick's last season for Melia was an incredible achievement because he was 17 for the majority of that campaign.
The teenage star was described as being "on fire" by talent scout Jacek Kulig and his statistics for club and country back that up, as he has also scored 16 goals in 38 caps for Ireland at various youth levels.
Melia's form for Ireland, St. Patrick's, and, now, Tottenham's U21s suggests that he is ready to make the step up to be given a chance to shine in the Premier League, particularly with Solanke's lack of consistency.
The 18-year-old marksman has the potential to emerge as De Zerbi's own version of Kane, as an academy player who could become a prolific senior scorer, and that is why the Italian should unleash him in the coming weeks.