Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has hinted to football.london that Kyle Walker-Peters is likely to retain his place at right-back for the match at Manchester City.
The 22-year-old impressed in Spurs' Premier League opener against Aston Villa and is looking to try to make his case for the position this season.
England international Kieran Trippier left the club for Atletico Madrid last month, leaving Walker-Peters, Serge Aurier, who is fit after a wrist injury, and Juan Foyth, suspended and out with an ankle injury, to battle it out for the right-back slot.
When asked whether he had noticed Walker-Peters trying to make his play for the role on and off the pitch, Pochettino made it clear he has and appeared to indicate that the young defender would be facing the attacking talent of City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
"I think it is obvious. The moment Trips flew to Madrid, it opened the door for different players to improve and step up," said the Spurs boss.
"In the case of Kyle it is to try to be strong in his mentality and try and compete. Of course he was good against Aston Villa, but now it is going to be a massive challenge tomorrow.
"He is a player we trust in, he has the confidence and now he has to take the opportunity to be strong in the position."
Another player who has Pochettino's trust is Moussa Sissoko, who turned 30 on Friday. The midfielder has become one of the first names on the team sheet after overcoming a tough first few seasons at the club.
"Moussa has become a player that provides the team with a good balance. There was a moment in the last few years when we started to lose a little bit of energy in the past and he started to provide this energy," Pochettino told football.london.
"He started to improve and be clever in the way to play, to learn and to understand what we expect from him exactly and that was the key for him to be more consistent and be in the starting XI and be an important player for the team.
"He is a good professional, a very nice guy, so big, but at the same time he is so funny. He started to be a person that the fans empathise with and today he is an important player because he provides the team with the balance we needed.
"He is 30 years old and still improving but today 30 you are still so young. In the past when you are 30 years old you start to talk about being an old man, but today you are like 25 years old."
