It would be fair to argue that Lucas Bergvall is still getting up to speed with the demands of English football three months into his Tottenham Hotspur career, which is understandable given the context.
The midfielder is only 18 and has arrived from Sweden’s top-tier, a league ranked 22nd behind the likes of Israel, Serbia and Norway in UEFA’s coefficient table. Ange Postecoglou has spoken to Bergvall about “giving him an understanding of the levels here", which the player has had no problem acknowledging.
The playmaker made his full debut in September's League Cup win over Coventry City and has since started all four of the club’s Europa League ties, albeit has yet to last a full 90 minutes.
The teenager has yet to begin a Premier League match and has in fact not played in the competition at all since September, despite being included in every matchday squad.
There is very much the sense of Bergvall being an apprentice to his senior colleagues as he learns the ropes ahead of a more prominent role in the side down the line. The Sweden international has shown enough glimpses to excite onlookers, who might see more of them in the next month.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s domestic seven-match ban for using a racial slur about Spurs teammate Son Heung-min means Postecoglou will be required to reshuffle his midfield.
It is still unlikely that Bergvall gets into the starting midfield three initially, with Yves Bissouma available to slot into defensive midfield. But with fewer options available to rotate, Bergvall might break his two-month barren Premier League streak before long.
Bentancur is still permitted to play in the Europa League, with Tottenham set to face Roma next week and Rangers a fortnight later. Postecoglou will undoubtedly use those games to keep Bentancur’s match fitness ticking over during his suspension in English competition.
The Spurs boss will meanwhile have to bear in mind that Dejan Kulusevski - who has played on the right of the middle three of late - is two yellow cards away from a one-game suspension.
Meanwhile, Bissouma currently sits on two cautions and it’s common knowledge that midfield pivots are subjected to more yellow-card-inducing situations during a match. There are six Premier League fixtures before Bentancur returns.
And, of course, there are always injuries to manage, while the hectic football calendar means rotation will be required at certain stages. If Bergvall is to get his maiden Premier League start in 2024, it seems this period is his best bet.
Bergvall finds himself in a rare situation where a teammate’s long-term ban, as opposed to an injury, has inadvertently boosted his chances of game time. Return dates for injuries are always ambiguous whereas in this scenario, Bergvall knows precisely how long he has got.
His ultimate aim is to make himself a starting XI contender no matter who is and is not available. For now, this is perhaps an opportunity to show his manager that he is indeed making strides towards the levels required of him.