Ange Postecoglou may need to be creative with his team selection over the coming weeks after losing Tottenham Hotspur duo James Maddison and Micky van de Ven to injury.
The Tottenham boss has enjoyed a promising start to life in North London after taking over in a difficult situation over the summer.
Postecoglou had Spurs sitting top of the Premier League table until a tumultuous week led to defeats against Chelsea and Wolves.
Tottenham lost Maddison and Van de Ven during a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea while Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero were both sent off.
It led to the Aussie boss naming a makeshift backline and a midfield lacking creativity in the 2-1 defeat to Wolves.
And in our view, it feels like the right time for Postecoglou to use some of the talented youngsters in Tottenham’s academy, including Jamie Donley.
Postecoglou will surely hand Donley his Tottenham debut soon
Spurs lacked creativity at Molineux last weekend as Postecoglou opted for a midfield three of Yves Bissouma, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Pape Matar Sarr.
He did introduce Rodrigo Bentancur and Giovani Lo Celso later in the game. But Donley remained an unused substitute.
The 18-year-old has starred for the Under-21s this season and was named the Premier League 2’s Player of the Month in October.
Donley has netted six goals and provided 11 assists in just 11 appearances for Tottenham’s academy sides this season.
While Postecoglou has more senior options to call upon, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Donley come off the bench over the coming weeks.
Indeed, Bissouma will be ruled out of Spurs’ clash against Aston Villa next weekend due to suspension.
It leaves Postecoglou slightly short of options in midfield, with Lo Celso his only recognised No10 in the squad.
Of course, Donley remains unproven at senior level but he surely deserves a chance to shine given his form for the Under-21s this season.
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