A GAME against his parent club could be Damola Ajayi's chance to shine in north London on Wednesday.
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The 20-year-old playmaker is yet to start a League One game for Doncaster Rovers since joining on loan from Premier League Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.
But like many managers, Grant McCann has used cup ties to rotate his squad, and Ajayi has kicked off all three of Doncaster’s so far this season, scoring in the 4-0 League Cup first-round win at Middlesbrough.
So with Spurs giving permission for him to play against them, and with fellow No 10 Harry Clifton Doncaster's only confirmed absentee for Wednesday's third-round game, the stage is set for the youngster.
McCann says Ajayi’s failure to start a league game should not be taken as a lack of faith in the skillful forward, whose only other senior goal was for Spurs en route to last season's Europa League success – just an indication of the adjustment he is having to make for League One football.
"He's really impressive, Damola," said McCann. "Every game he's played in he's got better.
"He's understanding what he needs to play at this level. Me and Damola speak all the time and I was saying to him about (under-) 21s football.
"We'd love to have a 21s team here but 21s football is a bit, 'you have it, we have it, you have it, we have it.'
"Damola's probably got thrust into it (league football) a wee bit, though he's had a sample of first-team football. So, he's just figuring it out.
"He will get many opportunities to be in our team for sure this season. We didn't bring him here just to sit on the bench all year.
"He's getting better all the time, Damola.
"He was excellent last week when he played against a strong Lincoln team (in a behind-closed-doors friendly) who were similar to us really, just the lads who haven't been in their team. They've got a strong group down there.
"He's going to have a good loan here for sure. We just need to keep working with him.
"It was good of Tottenham to give us the green light on that."
McCann has told his players they have nothing to fear.
"Nobody in the country will give us any hope of going there and doing anything,” he said. “There's no pressure at all on us and hopefully we play our game and see how it goes.”
Right-back Jamie Sterry is a doubt with a stiff back.