Tottenham Hotspur fans will be desperately awaiting their return to Premier League action, given how fine their form had been before the international break. Such an absence has not been all bad though, allowing their Deadline Day acquisition of Brennan Johnson to regain his fitness again…
When will Brennan Johnson be fit?
Having joined for a mouth-watering £47.5m fee, the Welshman marked Ange Postecoglou's biggest signing yet, outranking the £43m paid for Micky van de Ven, or the £40m spent on James Maddison.
Immediately there is huge pressure on his shoulders, but as the archetypical winger for the former Celtic man's system, there is every reason to believe he will succeed in N17.
Especially after the fine debut campaign enjoyed with Nottingham Forest, in which the 22-year-old would score eight and assist three as his side avoided the drop with ease, picking up some fine victories along the way.
However, after being handed his first start in last month's North London derby, the speedster had to be withdrawn after 63 minutes with a hamstring complaint which has seen him miss the following two wins over Liverpool and Luton Town.
Fortunately, it is expected that the 21-cap ace could return to action for the Fulham game, but it remains dependent on a late fitness test. Therefore, it could provide an opportunity for Bryan Gil to take his spot, and stake a starting claim as his chances dwindle.
How good is Bryan Gil?
As a trickster tempted to north London in a deal that saw Erik Lamela head the other way, Sevilla oversaw the departure of the Spanish trickster who had been shining in his homeland.
His return of four goals and three assists in La Liga the year before his switch marked a fine return for a teenager, but since joining Spurs there has been little opportunity for the 5 foot 9 wizard to stamp his claim.
Across two years there he boasts just 31 senior appearances, even returning to Spain on loan in an attempt to recapture the form of that 2020/21 campaign that saw him post 1.4 shots and 1.8 key passes per game, via Sofascore.
However, there have been glimpses of his quality in England, with journalist Rob Guest even outlining one "moment of magic" in 2021 that Postecoglou could seek to usher out with more frequency.
Especially considering the tireless work rate that Gil boasts, which could align well with the Australian's philosophy. In fact, when compared to other wingers across Europe, he sits in the top 14% for tackles per 90 and the top 10% for interceptions per 90, via FBref.
There must be something worth exploring, given how quick to praise the winger Antonio Conte was earlier this year: "We are talking about a player who was born to play football. He’s so clever, so intelligent to understand the situation. Then you know this league is difficult because you have to be good in quality and be fast and to have good endurance and he has this type of quality."
Perhaps, whilst Johnson takes one added week of rest to fully recover, Gil could step up and take what is sure to be one of his final few chances before the club seeks to cut their losses on the youngster.
