Anthony Gordon is in the frame to start for Preston North End this weekend after his lack of minutes on loan with the Championship club raised alarm.
Gordon sealed a deadline day move to Deepdale at the start of February in a bid to secure the amount of game-time that was unlikely to be on offer at Everton for the rest of the season.
Preston were picked ahead of more than 20 other clubs who had registered their interest in taking the winger on loan with the belief he would have a better chance of playing regularly with the Lilywhites.
But the 20-year-old has started only four of nine games since the switch.
On Tuesday night, Gordon was an unused substitute as 10-man Preston lost 2-0 at Middlesbrough to increase the pressure on manager Alex Neil.
Neil was quizzed on Gordon's omission and said the decision to bench him was tactical, claiming the youngster would take too many touches for a game that promised to be played at close quarters.
"Fans want to see exciting players, I understand that and that's not lost on me," he said.
Before adding: ""The thing is with Anthony is that he wants to take touches, and against Middlesbrough they want to lock you in so you need to limit your touches - certainly if you're high up the pitch.
"That's why I put three runners behind Ched (Evans), so it goes up, sticks, gets set back and then guys run."
Neil's reasoning seemed to anger many Preston supporters and concern Everton fans that Gordon is not getting the exposure needed to make his loan spell worthwhile.
But the expectation, the ECHO understands, is that Gordon will start against Luton Town on Saturday and be given a run of games between now and the end of the campaign, with Neil's decision not to bring him on at the Riverside also designed to make sure he is ready for the weekend's fixture.
There is an acceptance that the Blues flyer is picking up more minutes at Preston than he would've done if he had stayed at Goodison - even if it is below the level expected.
Gordon is widely considered the best player in the Preston squad and while there is an acceptance that he has inconsistencies, Everton agreed to send him on loan in the belief he would play regularly.
Offers from across Europe - including Germany, Belgium and Scotland - were tabled for Gordon but a move to Preston until the end of the campaign ticked many boxes with Neil talking up the 'exciting' youngster.
Yet only four starts, and as many appearances as as substitute - coupled with Tuesday night's decision to leave him on the bench - have raised questions.
Everton agonised over whether to release the Academy product on loan, with director of football Marcel Brands initially set on Gordon staying at Goodison.
But with the youngster facing the second-half of the season sat mainly on the bench, the collapse of Bernard's move to Dubai and Carlo Ancelotti's desire to add an experienced forward as back-up in Josh King, meant a loan move was sanctioned.
Everton and Gordon now hope that he is given a run of games in the side, beginning with Saturday's game with Luton.
