Arnaut Danjuma missed out on the Tottenham XI against Sheffield United and only came on for the final eight minutes of the 1-0 FA Cup fifth round defeat
Arnaut Danjuma's wait for his first Tottenham start goes on after he was once again named amongst the substitutes for their FA Cup fifth round tie away at Sheffield United. Featuring off the bench in three games prior to their trip to Bramall Lane, the cup encounter looked the perfect opportunity to give him a go from the off, with attacking changes always going to take place.
"The effort from our team every time is good and we can't be disappointed about this. It's about the energy and the mentality and how we are focused on the win during the game."
Key to Spurs exercising that option will be the Netherlands ace making a big impression in the final third and catching the eye when minutes come his way. That is going to be extremely hard for the Lagos-born star to do at present, though, with a total of 47 minutes accrued across four Spurs appearances.
Eight of those came in South Yorkshire on Wednesday evening as Stellini introduced the January signing moments after Iliman Ndiaye had put the hosts ahead with a low finish after evading three challenges. It was next to no time for the player to have a say on the game as Spurs couldn't force an equaliser in what remained of the contest and duly crashed out of the FA Cup fifth round for the fourth consecutive term.
Danjuma's move to the club did allow Bryan Gil to head back to Sevilla before the January transfer window slammed shut and it does unfortunately look like he is taking on the Spaniard's role at present.
Antonio Conte always seemed very reluctant to give Gil a go in the team due to his size and lack of Premier League experience, with opportunities only coming his way when the head coach had no other option but to play the winger.
The youngster did demonstrate why the club signed him in 2021 when given a rare chance to shine, notably away at Crystal Palace in the Premier League and then Portsmouth at home in the FA Cup. Spurs' lack of rotation has also not helped their cause, with those coming into the side after hardly playing any football extremely rusty and off the pace.
The decision to start Lucas ahead of him at Sheffield United was a perplexing one and the questions will continue to persist about Danjuma if his bit-part role continues. Having a player at the club who contributed with 16 goals and four assists for Villarreal last season, Tottenham must start to use him.