Ryan Giggs says Daniel James must take the opportunities that come his way at Manchester United following the Red Devils' failure to sign Jadon Sancho in the summer transfer window.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men were determined to add the Borussia Dortmund star to their ranks ahead of the 2020/21 campaign but ultimately missed out clinching a deal for the young Englishman.
But Giggs says the onus is now on James to deliver the goods when provided with the opportunity to do so at Old Trafford.
When asked if United's failure to sign Sancho can benefit James, Giggs responded: "I'm not too sure. DJ, when he was with us last time, was excellent for both games. He looked really sharp.
"I always feel that the more better players in your dressing room, the better you become.
"We'll just have to wait and see. That's up to DJ to step up and make sure that, when he does get his chance, he takes it.
"He's got that speed that always keeps the opposition interested. He's got that directness and as he showed in our last games, he made the goal in the first game and was brilliant for us."
James has featured in just one of United's four Premier League matches so far this term.
The former Swansea City winger, heavily linked with a possible move to Leeds United in recent weeks, was left out of the matchday squad altogether for the Red Devils' 6-1 defeat to Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday.
However, Giggs has confirmed the 22-year-old missed the hefty loss to Jose Mourinho's side due to illness, adding that he has now recovered to feature for Wales during the international break.
"He had a bit of a bug, so that was the reason why he wasn't in the squad," explained the Wales boss.
"He played against Brighton in midweek. He just felt something before the [Spurs] game and afterwards it wiped him out.
"He's had a couple of days where he's been off his feet and had a bit of a bug, so that was the reason, and when you have that you have to stay away.
"He's trained the last couple of days. He also had a knock on his foot as well, so we're just monitoring that.
"There's a couple of players that are in the same boat, we're giving them as much time as we can, and then decide what team we're going to pick and who needs what minutes."
