Tottenham Hotspur are currently gearing up for what could potentially be a crucial encounter in their bid for Champions League qualification, with the Lilywhites set to take on top-four rivals Newcastle United later today.
That mouthwatering meeting at St James' Park comes with just three points separating the north London outfit from the Magpies in the third, albeit with the hosts also having the advantage of a game in hand.
While a defeat would not end Tottenham's hopes of finishing in those coveted and lucrative positions, it would certainly be a real setback for Cristian Stellini and co if they were to walk away from Tyneside empty-handed.
Ahead of this afternoon's crunch clash, the interim Italian may have a handful of selection decisions to make following the defeat at home to relegation strugglers Bournemouth last time out, with Spurs unable to afford a repeat showing this time around.
One man who could make way following that last-gasp loss to the Cherries is academy graduate, Oliver Skipp, with the 22-year-old having been 'outmuscled' in the midfield battle last weekend, as per 90min's Sean Walsh.
The young Englishman was rather ineffective in his 77-minute outing as he made just 36 touches and won just two of his seven total duels, with it perhaps time that Stellini hands a rare opportunity to Pape Matar Sarr in his place.
Will Sarr start against Newcastle?
The Senegalese international has endured a frustrating time of it at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to date, having been restricted to just 11 first-team appearances across all fronts so far this season.
Having been signed from Ligue 1 side Metz on a £14.5m deal in 2021 – before returning to France on loan for the following campaign – the 20-year-old has largely been on the periphery since coming back to his parent club in the summer.
When the youngster has featured, however, he has clearly caught the eye having been hailed as a player who "can do everything" by Stellini earlier in the campaign, while also being praised as a "top player" by former boss, Antonio Conte.
The 6 foot 1 gem was particularly impressive during the Champions League defeat to AC Milan back in February, having produced a 'standout display' in that 1-0, first-leg loss, as per the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick, due to his 'composure and crisp passes'.
Even despite the loss of Rodrigo Bentancur to a season-ending injury, however, Sarr has still been unable to dislodge the starting pair of Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with both Stellini and Conte showing a real reluctance to rotate in the centre of the park.
While it would be a bold move to thrust the 14-cap starlet back into the fold for such a high-profile fixture, the midfield maestro's previous display at San Siro should showcase that he would not be overawed by the big occasion.