As the end of the season grows closer, Antonio Conte is likely to still be assessing his squad members and some may feel they have been unlucky not to have been given more of a chance. Tottenham's 3-2 defeat to Man United has left them eighth in the Premier League table and now six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.
The Italian may not have as much squad depth as he would like but one of the rotations he could make is with the introduction of Lucas Moura. The Brazilian has made 35 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring six goals and registering as many assists.
However with the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski, Moura has had to accept more time on the sidelines and he hasn't played 90 minutes in a Premier League game since the thrilling 3-2 victory over Leicester. The Brazilian is currently competing with both Son Heung-min and the January signing for a spot in Conte's regular XI and so far, hasn't secured a regular spot.
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The 29-year-old has been at the club since 2018 and in his first year, he received praise from Mauricio Pochettino, which didn't come around too often.
"I think I need to say well done, because today's performance from Lucas Moura, for the people that advised and feel responsible too, they need to be praised too. That is why I want to congratulate them," Pochettino explained. "There are always people who are working behind [the scenes] and it was a fantastic job because today I think Lucas deserves a lot of credit."
"He is showing his quality. I am so happy, he's a great guy and he brought the team different skills, different alternatives and the most important thing is to find a different place to how he was finding it in Paris last year."
Since then, Moura has shown his ability and what he can bring to games when he is involved, including the incredible Champions League semi final where his second half hat-trick took Spurs to the final in 2019. That same year he was also spoken highly of by former Tottenham player Danny Murphy.
"He [Moura] gave a tenacity and a hunger to the Spurs side in the second half that we did not see in the first half," Murphy explained after the Lilywhites' Boxing Day win in 2019. "It’s not always about playing brilliantly and everything coming off. It’s about trying, doing the hard yards, trying to run at people, chasing back."
The Brazilian not only adds pace and skill to a game as he tries to help with creativity in the attacking half, Moura is also someone who will come on and fight for his side, no matter what the score is when he steps on the pitch. This is something that Jose Mourinho openly admitted last year.
"Lucas is a team player, that’s what teams need and many times people in general don’t give the right value to these types of player," he explained. "He’s always there for the team, playing amazing or not so amazing, but always there, always fighting for the team and today, I thought he was brilliant."
Despite this past praise and ability Lucas shows, he has fallen down Conte's pecking order and struggled to secure a spot in the starting XI. However after some recent performances and the 3-2 defeat on Saturday, the Brazilian may feel he now deserves another chance.
Son only recently broke the record with Harry Kane for the most combination goals ever scored in the Premier League and although he is still making contributions during games, he is performing below the level fans have seen in recent times. Michael Dawson admitted that he was surprised when Kulusevski was taken off to make way for Moura, over the South Korean.
After Tottenham's Boxing Day victory over Crystal Palace, Conte explained the variations Spurs have in attack, when asked about the Brazilian's pace and movement. "I think we have the strikers that are very good at receiving the ball and creating something important, to make assists. At the same time we have very good strikers when they have space in front of us to attack."
This season in the league Moura has created eight big chances, had 33 shots and made 18 clearances, showing the impact he can have at both ends of the pitch. Most of his performances this season haven't been standout ones that necessarily mean he deserves to start every game.
However, with Son seeming to be out of form recently and the 29-year-old previously showing the impact he can have, could it be time for Conte to make the rotation? Lucas may be wondering what more he has to do to get some more game time.
There is no denying the South Korean is a key member of the Italian's squad and it seems unlikely that he would be sidelined, but I do believe that Lucas should be given more of a chance. Whether that is starting games or even just being introduced earlier - Saturday being a prime example as he wasn't brought on until the 78th minute.
As Tottenham approach the final ten games of the season, Conte will need to make full use of his squad to ensure Spurs can finish in the strongest possible position after what has been a rollercoaster season both on and off the pitch.
